


Defiance, doubts and declarations

by LadySeeker



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, F/M, Mass Effect 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 15:18:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 73,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14023071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadySeeker/pseuds/LadySeeker
Summary: The defiant Shepard finds herself feeling and thinking things she's never felt before... Her doubting mind begins to question what happened before Ilos... Just a one time thing, or something more? Its time to find out where she stands... and to declare her own position. Set during shore leave between ME1&2... FemShep/Liara, Ashley/Joker, Tali/Garrus.





	1. Shore leave

**Shore leave**

* * *

"So, that's it?" Shepard frowned at Dr Chakwas.

"Indeed, Commander. Your resilience never ceases to amaze me - you have half a gigantic spacecraft fall on you, yet you emerge with only a dislocated shoulder, sprained metatarsal, a few minor cuts and bruises and a couple of broken ribs. The fairly deep cut on your backside, from where a piece of the ship embedded itself, should soon be nicely patched up by the medi-gel" The Doctor tidied away some equipment as she gave her assessment. "I'm assuming that means you went for the classic 'duck and cover' defensive position...?"

Shepard stood up and rubbed her right buttock. "Yeah... something like that"

Chakwas looked a little puzzled as she inspected the armour. "I'm just not entirely sure how you sustained that injury though." She raised her eyebrow as she turned to face the commander. "Your Colossus armour seems undamaged in that region - care to explain?"

"Erm, about that... The armour would have worked fine..." Shepard winced, knowing the Doctor wasn't going to like this.

"What exactly do you mean by 'would have,' Commander?" Dr Chakwas asked with a slightly more stern tone.

"...Look, what else was I to do but bend over and show my backside to the thing that was surely gonna kill me?" Shepard replied smugly.

Ash smirked from a bed opposite. "Wait, you mean...? You mean you mooned a piece of space debris the size of the  _Normandy_  as it hurtled towards you bringing almost certain death?" She shook her head; half in disbelief, half impressed by her commander's defiance.

"Well it was gonna get me anyway... I knew you and Liara could get much further away than I could as you'd already scrambled most of the way out of the garden. I told you to go. Looked at my own situation and realised I couldn't get out quick enough. I was trapped ... so ... I figured I'm not going out with a whimper and that was the first thing I thought of."

The doctor rolled her eyes, not especially surprised at what she was hearing. She smiled after a thought entered her head "I guess it didn't occur to you what it would've looked like if you had been killed, if we found your corpse 'debagged'?"

"Oooh... No... I didn't think of that." Shepard frowned. "Hmmm, that could've been embarrassing."

"Well at least that would explain why it took you so long to get out of the rubble." Williams laughed "That would certainly be one for the history books, Commander!"

"I was knocked out for a few minutes. I was NOT taking care of  _business_  and if that story starts to circulate I'll know who to come looking for, Chief!" Shepard warned.

"Ok, ok - 'Mooning at certain death' it is then, Skipper." Williams smiled and snapped off a sarcastic salute.

"Oh and Doc... it was only  _part_ of a gigantic spacecraft. Let's not start exaggerating elements of the story just yet, eh?" the commander corrected with a smile.

"Right. Sorry." The Doctor sighed and shook her head slightly.

"Anyway. Moving on. I'm afraid you'll have very little, if anything, to show for your epic battle!" the doctor said changing the subject with a grin.

"Damn it! You know how much I like to show off my battle scars! Ok, but tell me honestly doc, will I ever play the piano again?" Shepard said with her usual air of humour.

"Well, unless you plan to play it with your 'cheeks', I'm sure you'll bee fine." Dr Chakwas replied with a shake of her head.

"Regarding the scars, you never know, you might be lucky... The cut on your defiant backside may scar, but it's not really in a very show off-able region. Well at least not to most eyes." she cast a quick glance in Liara's direction, who's cheek colour turned a slightly darker shade of blue. The doctor smiled. "Anyway, you're free to..."

Joker's voice interrupted the dismissal "Commander, Captain Anderson called while the Doc was relocating your shoulder - said you were needed in the presidium to meet with the council as soon as you were checked over."

"Thanks, Joker" Shepard's tone was less than grateful. "Great. That sounds ominous. I bet the council want me to go clean up the mess I left in the tower." Shepard rolled her eyes and sighed. "Like I haven't seen enough of that place today!"

Sliding off the bed, Shepard said. "I'll be seeing  _you_  later." She winked at the asari lying in the next bed. "You better get that ankle fixed, Doc - I'll need her in full working order by the time I get back!" Smirked Shepard, never taking her eyes from those of her lover.

"I'm sure Dr Chakwas will be able to return me to my former state." Liara grinned, then said in a much lower, huskier tone as she grasped Shepard's hand. "Please, don't be long. I will be waiting for you." She cast Shepard 'that look' which always instantly melted the heart of her Commander, and turned her legs to jelly.

"My place or yours, baby?" A lustful smile crept across Shepard's face as she softly kissed the lips of the lover she was loath to leave.

"Oh, gimme a bucket!" Ashley Williams interrupted from the bed opposite Liara, bringing the loved-up pair crashing back to reality.

"Williams - Your scans are all clear - no internal trauma, and that arm should be fixed in about a week," The Doctor, looked at the holoscreen display which showed the information about Williams' condition. "so, you are also free to go Chief." she concluded, smirking in Ashley's direction.

"Thank god - I can't put up with any more mushy stuff. I mean, I just helped save the galaxy right? And my reward is a broken arm and nausea - the latter being nothing to do with Sovreign!"

"Stop whining soldier" Shepard smiled and playfully punched the Chief in her good arm as she passed.

Shepard took the rapid transport from C-Sec to the Embassy - fidgeting all the time due to her inconveniently placed injury. When she arrived, she found Captain Anderson and Ambassador Udina, waiting for her.

"The council wants a word with you." said Udina in his usual angry sounding tone as he walked away.

"Hmmm, I'm for it now aren't I?" she whispered to Anderson as they walked towards the bridge where the council stood. The council had made a temporary meeting area within the presidium's financial district.

Much to Shepard's surprise there was none of the usual ungrateful attitude from the three leaders. Instead the council thanked her for saving their lives and those of the entire galaxy, and said her actions, along with the selfless sacrifice of those aboard the ships of the Alliance fleet, who perished to save the council, had proven that the human race was ready to join the council. They then asked for her recommendation - of course she suggested Anderson, not only because he was the best man for the job, but because it really pissed off that detestable little man, Udina!

Shepard then explained to the council that the reapers are still out there and she had work to do, at which point she turned and marched away trying to disguise her slight limp.

After giving a quick motivational speech, Anderson chased after the Commander. "Not so fast, Shepard"

"Captain?" Shepard spun around.

"You may have got work to do, but you need to take a break. You're not invincible you know - despite evidence to the contrary. You need rest and recovery time too... a week at least. And that's an order!" He said firmly.

"But... What about the reapers?... And Ilos?" Shepard protested.

"That will wait - I need the saviour of the galaxy in top condition if she's going to have to do it again. No arguments Shepard, you and all your crew are officially on leave from tomorrow." He had that determined look in his eye that meant he would not back down.

"Yes Sir" Shepard saluted, trying to mask her glee at the prospect of getting some uninterrupted time alone with her lover.

"See you in a week, Commander." Anderson turned and headed back to the Embassy to try to smooth things over with Udina.

Shepard decided to walk back to the  _Normandy_  and let her thoughts wander freely as she sauntered through the wards. She could barely believe that the battle was over and that the human race had finally earned their place on the council. She felt a sense of pride, not for herself, but for her species. So many had fought and died for that honour. She just hoped they didn't screw it up. At least she knew that Anderson stood a better chance of not making a hash of it, than Udina would.

She thought about her crew; especially those who had stood by her, no matter the cost. She closed her eyes briefly as she thought about the ones that had perished. So many of the  _Normandy's_  crew had quickly become more than just colleagues ... they had become friends. Very good friends, who had become so very important to her. She decided that life is short when you're in this line of work. Maybe it was time to show them her gratitude on a personal level. She would give that some thought, this week.  _Wow, a week... a whole week... to not think about certain death and just actually enjoy a bit of normality_. She thought and smiled at the prospect.

She continued to let her mind drift as she strolled, soon finding herself thinking about her asari lover and the short time they spent together less than a day ago.

 _Liara is perfect in every way_ , Shepard thought to herself. The 'young' archaeologist had an incredible mind and an amazing body to match. She had the most warm and gentle smile that not only lit up the room, but had ignited a dormant flame in her soul.

The velvety ridges of her crest were surprisingly soft to the touch. Shepard recalled the reaction she got from Liara when she first kissed and caressed them. The azure beauty writhed around and moaned uncontrollably, clearly in total ecstasy with every slight movement of her lover's fingers, lips and tongue - obviously this was a particularly sensual area on an asari.  _One to remember!_  Shepard thought as she continued her journey.

But what always captivated Shepard the most, and had her hooked from the start were Liara's incredibly blue eyes. Even on Therum when they first made eye contact after Liara was released from the bubble, there was a brief but undeniable moment where Shepard just stared into the asari's big blues before the earthquake shook her back to her mission.

Since the Union, Shepard constantly longed for her asari lover... Missed her gentle touch when they were apart. In Liara's arms, it was like she was suddenly... Complete.  _Argh, what a cliché!_  Shepard mocked herself in her thoughts.

She remembered how she'd watched her new lover sleep from her perch at her desk, almost with a sense if pride. She had memorised every contour of the asari's body, her soft curves, pert breasts, smooth azure skin, velvety crest…

However, the Commander's attraction to Liara wasn't merely physical. She constantly found herself marveling at her remarkable mind - she oozed logic and compassion with every syllable that left her soft lips, and she always had a view or perspective that came straight out without thought - she couldn't help it. It was like she had a total inability to hide what she was thinking, sometimes coming out like the words of an over-excited child. It really was just the most adorable thing when she got all awkward, and started babbling. Looking back, Shepard had wanted to kiss her ever since their first conversation in the medbay storage room as she gazed upon the asari's face. It was a face Shepard hoped she would wake up next to, every day for the rest of her life. She smiled, probably appearing quite gormless as she stood alone in the lift, mind still wandering.

Whilst they had only shared a couple of near intimate moments, and their brief Union before Ilos, it felt as if Liara had been a part of Shepard forever. In that short time she felt an unbreakable connection to her. Their Union had been something incomparable to anything Shepard had ever experienced, and yet somehow she knew it was only the tip of the iceberg. There was much more to experience - and she would love to explore the Union further, given a little more time, and without being interrupted by a certain helmsman.

Liara was the most amazing woman, um... person she had ever met.  _Hmmm... That's going to be a hard one to explain to Dad... Argh, I'll have to think about that later._

 _Wow_ , she thought suddenly coming to her senses  _this is getting serious if I'm wondering about my parents' reaction..._  She'd never bothered seeking their approval before. In fact she'd had never even thought about introducing anyone to them in the past.  _Why am I thinking about it now? After all I suppose we only had a quick 'I might die tomorrow' nookie session_.

As Shepard stood there alone in the elevator, she couldn't believe how fast this had all happened - Liara had completely taken over her, and she didn't mind one bit! It just felt like one minute Commander Shepard, the newly made Spectre, was rescuing some strange blue alien from a bubble in a collapsing mine; the next she was joining her mind, body and soul with that of the asari. It had all happed so quickly it was almost just a blur, but the strangest thing was, she knew loved the asari.  _I do truly love Liara with every part of my being_.

The thought hit her like sledge-hammer round as she stepped out of the elevator and headed for the decontamination compartment of the airlock to the ship.  _I... Commander Shepard, Spectre, 'saviour of the galaxy'... am totally and ridiculously head over heels in love ... with an alien ... a blue alien ... a 106 year old blue alien_.

"Oh my god… I actually LOVE her..." Shepard muttered under her breath.  _No. That's stupid. It's way too soon. Isn't it? Should … should I tell her?_  She continued in her head.

Suddenly her head was spinning. As usual her logical, rational side started arguing with her impulsive, emotional side - the crazy impulsive emotional side was winning at first, but when the logical side began to agree it started to terrify her.

 _What if she doesn't love me? What if it was merely a one time thing to her?_  -  _no, that can't be, not after what she said in the medbay._

 _What if it was only lust she felt and nothing more?_  –  _well, yes, I suppose that's possible. I've seen that look, it is pure lust._

Shepard realised she didn't know the first thing about how the asari worked, relationship wise. She knew what Liara had told her, but the young asari wasn't exactly experienced in anything involving contact with others - in the form of friendship or otherwise.

 _Why didn't I look this stuff up, like she researched humans?_  -  _cos you're a dumbass soldier not a bookworm with a brilliant mind for forethought!_

All she knew for certain was that she couldn't bare the thought of not being with Liara... Forever...

Shepard needed to know how the young asari felt about her. She needed to see her right away.

After being decontaminated and re-pressurized, Shepard marched double time down to the Medical storage room where Liara had taken up residence. She acknowledged Dr Chakwas with a nod as she passed the medic at the med bay door.

She was just about to request entrance to the storage room when she stopped, turned on her heels and leant against the wall - all those 'what if' theories started to run though her head again at FTL speeds. She was so nervous... Commander Shepard... Nervous.  _This is ridiculous!_  she mentally chastised herself. She was breaking into a sweat and her heart was pounding so hard it was like it was trying to break out of her chest past her broken ribs.

Shepard was glad that Dr Chakwas had left the room - She may have thought her commander was injured as she steadied herself on one of the beds and took a deep breath before pressing the s door's access button.

"Come in." Said a soft voice. That voice... Her words flowed like a warm breeze into Shepard's ears. The door opened and the nervous Spectre stood in the entrance.

Liara was concentrating on her research, not expecting Shepard to be back for hours yet - she knew those sort of meetings had a tendency to go on for some time. Briefly, she looked over to the entrance to see who her visitor was.

"Oh, commander". She stood immediately. "You're back earlier than I expected. What can I do for you...?" there was 'that look' in her eyes again.

Shepard stared into those libidinous eyes. She couldn't possibly respond with any of the things that started racing through her imagination... she gave herself a mental slap to shock her wandering mind back to the reason she was here.

"I, er... well... I just wanted to talk... if you aren't too busy or anything...? I can come back later..." Shepard stammered, trying to give herself an escape option. The Spectre stood staring at the floor like a lost schoolgirl.

"Of course, Commander... Go ahead." She stared into Shepard's eyes.

 _Commander..._? Shepard thought to herself - a bit formal for lovers. Why hadn't she called her Samantha as she had during the Union?

Liara stood looking at the seemingly dazed woman in front of her. "Are you ok? I sense there is something troubling you?" looking a little puzzled, Liara tilted her head. There was an air of concern in her voice as she spoke.

 _Damn the asari intuition._  Shepard thought.  _She always see's right through me_.

"It's nothing really. I mean... it is something... I er...". Liara took 3 steps towards the uncharacteristically nervous woman and brushed the back of her soft hand over her cheek.

This at least gave Shepard some hope that her affection might be more than just lust.

"What is it Samantha? You know you can tell me anything...".

 _Samantha... There it was, she said it._ The Spectre thought and let out a very deep breath that she was unaware she had been holding.

"I know ... I'm just a little ... well ... nervous." she glanced furtively at Liara. "Usually in conversations I know roughly what the outcome will be. But with you, I never do! I don't even know what I'M going to say to you, half the time!" She looked at the floor, then back into those big blue eyes and continued. "Look, about the yesterday ... before Ilos..." Shepard took in a deep breath again. "I need to know where I stand".

"You stand in my quarters..." Liara wore a puzzled look on her face.

Shepard couldn't help but smile at her lover's innocence. "No, I mean with regards to you and me" She could see by the look on Liara's face that she was still struggling to work out human speech habits. "You know, like, how you feel about things, about me. Was it only lust, or a one off thing? Did you just not want to die a virgin, in case it came to that?" Shepard blurted out wishing she had maybe kept her questions a little more subtle. But then again at least this way there was no room for confusion.

"My love, I joined with you then because it felt right. I couldn't stop thinking about you because I wanted to share every part of me with you... I wanted the union because… I love you."

At this Samantha smiled and met her lover's eyes once more.

Liara continued "I have loved you since the first time I looked into your eyes and saw through the mask you constantly hide behind. I glimpsed, even if just for a moment, the person you really are deep down in your soul. I was yours from that moment on." She smiled "I wanted you even more as I got to know you over the duration of the mission. As I said, you fascinate me... and before Ilos, well I couldn't bare the thought of us going off to fight a battle which either or both of us may never return from, having never shared myself with you and shown you how I feel about you".

Shepard looked at the ceiling, sending silent thanks to a God she didn't really believe in. "I was worried you may have regrets about what we did... That it was a rash decision or something" she explained. "I wanted to be sure it meant as much to you as it did to me. I love you, Liara… with all my heart and soul". Samantha felt such relief that she didn't just see her as a one night or 'last night' stand. Her heart was soaring.

"Samantha, I have walked in your soul. I know what it meant to you. I could feel with every touch how much you feel for me. I feel the same." she smiled and kissed Shepard's lips so tenderly she could only just feel it.

"Before we joined, I said open your mind. I know you held back slightly - you are as guarded in your mind as you are in your physical actions - you need to open up completely... If you had, you would have felt my feelings for you too." she took Samantha's hands in hers as she kissed her lover again. "Please... lower your defences and let me in. Then you will be able to feel for yourself exactly how I feel for you."

Shepard smiled at her sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I have trouble letting my guard down. I'm afraid, I guess... I just always have to be the strong one - I have to lead, command, and make decisions which are literally life or death. I have to be this person 24/7 for my crew. That's why it's so hard to let someone in so they can see what a big mushy mess I really am! - but I want you to know that I trust you, Liara. And I promise to open up totally to you."

"Ahhh, my big rough tough commander... I promise that I will never tell anyone what a big softy you really are." She mocked whilst at the same time trying to add reassurance. "You are a great mystery to me, Shepard. One I am sure I will enjoy unraveling…!" She rested her forehead on Samantha's.

"Sorry." Shepard said looking deep into her lover's eyes.

"What for?" Liara puzzled.

"For being a big idiot... I did feel how you felt about me during the joining, but looking back afterwards, I thought maybe it was just wishful thinking. Something I had made up in my own mind. The more I thought about it, the less I was certain. It became more like a dream."

"I've got an idea how to break that dream feeling. How about we go for that round 2 you mentioned... right now? - only this time with no holding back and no time restrictions." Liara gave Samantha 'that look' once more - what else could the commander do but kiss those gently smiling lips.

"Deal!" Shepard said and quickly picked up the asari, threw her over strong armored shoulder, forgetting it was ever dislocated, and carried her lover kicking and giggling back to the commander's quarters - much to the amusement of her crew, but she didn't care. So what if their commander has a weakness for blue archaeologists. The rumors had been circulating for weeks anyway - no doubt thanks to Joker's ear-wigging!

Now they wouldn't have to hide their love behind closed doors. Speaking of which; Commander Shepard poked her head round the corner to the mess hall... "Do not disturb - ok guys? - that's an order!"

"Yes ma'am!" the officers in the mess replied.

She spoke into her comm "…and joker - privacy mode on in my quarters. I want no interruptions - you hear me? Even if the whole galaxy is in peril, it can damn well wait!"

"Understood commander - loud and clear - over and out".

Samantha dimmed the lights in her quarters, turned and gazed at Liara sat on her bed.

"I think it's time to embrace eternity... don't you?" Shepard said playfully.

Liara returned the smile, ran over to her lover who swept her up into her arms. Liara wrapped her legs around Samantha's waist. "Definitely." She whispered softly in Sam's ear as her human lover started to kiss her blue neck, whilst running her fingers along the ridges of the azure crest making her writhe in the strong arms of the spectre.

Looking into Samantha's eyes, Liara said mischievously "Hey, can I see your new scar. I'd imagine it might need kissing better."

"Oh yeah…! Speaking of which, I've got quite a few areas that could use that sort of treatment." Samantha smiled back as she carried the love of her life over to the bed...

 


	2. Shower me with love

 

**Shower me with love**

Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams had spent the evening thoroughly cleaning, polishing, un-denting and upgrading the crew's equipment.

Feeling a little bit adventurous, she'd dared to eat one of the packet meals with no label from the 'lucky dip' box. Upon tasting the greenish-brown mush, she instantly regretted her choice – on further analysis she guessed it must be some sort of hot-pot, but she didn't want to think about it any further than that.

She had a good 3 hour nap in one of the pods then visited the doctor for a quick check-up to make sure her arm was healing right. It was still sore, and the bruising was quite a strange colour, but the Doctor confirmed that it would be fine.

All was fine. All was calm and quiet. Ashley hated quiet.

The Gunnery Chief stood tapping her foot as she leaned against the wall, waiting for the elevator to go back to her station. She couldn't decide what to do next – it's not like she could do anything more to the equipment; she'd already dealt with all the unread messages in her inbox and had checked a dozen times or more for replies from her sisters. She'd just be standing down there with nothing to do, and Wrex wasn't exactly the best company, unless you like Krogan jokes, which she generally didn't. So she turned and walked up the stairs, heading towards the helm instead. Upon arrival she slumped into the chair to the right of Joker.

"Something the matter, Chief?" he asked.

"I'm bored" Ashley replied with a big sigh. After a minute, she was literally sat twiddling her thumbs and spinning the chair from side to side. She was really bored. No it was more than that; it was somewhere the other side of bored.

"Go run some checks, polish or fix something. Just stop spinning that damn chair, you're making me dizzy" Joker suggested

"Sorry." She muttered, her tone sounded distant and distracted. She brought the seat back to it's resting position. "It's all done; I've inspected and repaired all weapons and armour. Garrus has made sure the MAKO is in tip-top condition. Adams and Tali have checked drive core. Wrex has been... well pretty much just standing there as usual watching everyone else around him work, and I see you've made sure that the Normandy's flight systems are all good to go ... now what?"

"Obviously you're just too organised for your own good, Chief! Hey, if you like, I could think of something we could do during the wait..." Joker raised his eyebrows at the chief. On receiving nothing but a blank stare from Ashley he continued "Or... We could just talk, you know ... whatever".

"...I mean it's been 7 hours! What are we supposed to do?" Ashley asked, oblivious to Jokers attempt at flirting. "The Citadel and the Council are saved. Saren is dead. Sovreign is destroyed. It's not like we're on our way to some far off region of the galaxy and we have stuff to prepare... We have no orders, no mission. Damn, I hate waiting. I don't do waiting!" Ash sighed with frustration. "Can't you just open up the comms and ask her?".

"Wow, you've got some real patience issues there, Chief! And no, I can't. Shepard specifically said 'No Interruptions' –  _I_  don't wanna be the one to disobey  _that_  order!" the pilot said defensively. "Besides, you could do it... look it's just that button there – go ahead!"

"No way, Mister, that's your job, not mine!" said Chief Williams

"Coward!" Joker said with a wonky grin. "Anyway, what do you propose I say – 'hey have you two finished your session yet or what'?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something! You always do!" Ash smiled and checked the time. "It is only 0300, most of the crew are asleep now anyway... maybe we should just let them be 'til the morning...?"

"Right, they've got 'til 0700, then I'll do it" Joker said decisively, trying to convince himself more than anyone else, whilst quietly hoping the two lovebirds would emerge before it got to that time.

...

Williams had spent the last three and a half hours wandering the ship looking for anything broken or out of place - she found nothing. She'd even tried to start a conversation with Wrex, which, much like the 'lucky dip' meal, she'd instantly regretted after starting. She'd popped down to see Tali who'd had a bright idea as to how to make the engines 3% more efficient and was too busy fiddling with her omni-tool to talk with the bored Chief.

The hours and minutes dragged by and the quiet calm of the  _Normandy_  was almost eerie.

Finally it was almost 0700, so she headed back to Joker's station.

"Its 0700" the Gunnery Chief whispered in Joker's ear after sneaking up behind the dozing pilot.

"Ok, Ok" a sleepy Joker said nervously through a yawn as he reached to open up a private audio comm link to the Commander's quarters. "Er... Commander...?"

"Damn it, Joker, I said no interruptions!" Shepard shouted.

"Sorry Commander but the crew are wondering what your orders are...?" Joker cringed as he spoke.

"Oh for crying out loud, can't I just get a couple of hours to myself!?" The anger in her voice gradually increasing as she broke her embrace with her lover and walked over to her desk and leaned on it. "What the hell happened to initiative? Just do the usual - check everything's all working properly, clean the weapons and armour, maintain the MAKO... you know the stuff everyone's supposed to do!"

"That's all been done, Commander. Everything is 5 by 5. Most of the crew are just waking up"

"'Done'? What do you mean 'done'? And 'waking up'? What the hell? What time is it?" Shepard asked sounding slightly less angry and more puzzled.

"0700"

"Don't be ridiculous, it's not been..." Shepard glanced at the time shown on her screen. "What the...? How did...?" a slight air of panic was now in the voice of the Commander.  _11 Hours? It can't have been 11 hours..._  "Erm... ok, gimme 5 minutes, then I want a ship-wide audio comm Link" Shepard's voice calmed as she spoke.  _Sure as hell not doing that on a visual comm link_  she thought with a self conscious smile as she stood there in the buff, running her hand through her dishevelled hair.

"Aye, Commander – over and out"

...

"What did she say?" Asked Ashley

"She's going ship-wide in 5" Joker said with a slightly puzzled expression "She didn't seem to know it had been that long..."

"Well, you know what they say: Time flies when you're having fun!" Laughed the Chief and slumped in the chair next to him once more.

...

Liara looked at her lover's confused expression as an exhausted Shepard staggered back from her desk.

"What...? What did he want...?" panted the still breathless Asari. "You specifically said no interruptions..."

"I know... but the crew want orders – apparently it's been 11 hours." Shepard stretched as she sat on the edge of the bed, clothes and armour scattered all around her feet.

"But that ... that's not possible, it can't have been..." Liara sat up, now understanding why her lover had worn that confused expression.

"Check out the time – it has." Shepard pointed at the display on the screen at her desk.

"Oh, my... What happened?" Liara's disbelief was evident in her voice

"I guess that's just what happens when you have no time limit!" laughed the Commander as she stretched her legs out in front of her. "I know time  _seems_  to slow down during the Union, but it didn't think it actually  _did!_  That's just... well... amazing!"

"It was though... wasn't it...? Amazing, I mean?" Liara shot 'that look' at Samantha with a sly grin.

"Was?... We're not done yet, my love!" Sam smiled cheekily and pulled Liara into a tight embrace. "I've just got to tell the crew they're on leave as of... well 7 hours ago I guess – but I think I'll leave that part out."

"Ship-wide comm link ready, Commander" Joker said

"Ok, thanks" Shepard stood and walked back to her desk, trying to get back into 'Commander' mode.

"Crew, this is Commander Shepard. Firstly on a personal note, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for sticking by me through our mission. Having your backing was key to our ultimate success in the destruction of Sovreign. The Alliance, the Council, and no doubt the whole galaxy, are eternally grateful for your strength and courage throughout. Secondly, as a reward for all the hard work and dedication in the face of adversity, the Alliance has granted us 7 days shore leave. Now get your stuff and get off the ship – I don't want anyone hanging around here for the next week! Shepard out"

"Nicely done, Commander" Joker smiled "I'll let you get back to... you know..."

"Thanks, Joker. And I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. See you in a week. Have a good one!" Shepard said and looked back over to the azure figure strewn across her bed.  _I know I will_  she thought.

She stretched as she walked into her en-suite. "Back in a minute, don't go anywhere!" she smiled at Liara.

"Wouldn't dream of it" Liara said, lying back down on the bed looking rather tired.

...

Shepard stared at her reflection as she washed her hands – her jet-black hair was a tangled, sweat soaked mess. Her blue eyes were sore and bloodshot, and her lips were dark pink and swollen. She realised she ached all over... every muscle, every joint. She felt at her clammy skin and decided the best course of action was to quickly jump in the shower before returning to her beautiful Asari.

The scorching hot water of the shower pounded on her head, neck and shoulders as she stood there, eyes closed tightly feeling the warm steam rise around her. She stretched her neck muscles and rolled her shoulders as she lathered up the soap to wash her body, gradually feeling all the aches and pains washing away with the water. The cut on her backside was sore to touch. The whole "lower back" area was bruised and by the feel of it was definitely going to scar.  _Shame... it might need more kisses!_  Her mind started to think about the time she'd just spent with the only one she could ever show it to...  _11 hours... that's quite a session, Shep!_  she thought, nodding with pride, making a great big grin spread across her face.

She opened her eyes when she heard a gentle knock on the shower's glass door, followed by a slight chill as the cool air from outside the shower entered along with a naked blue figure. "I heard the shower running... thought I would save water by joining you... Do you mind?" Liara smiled.

"Oh, you're more than welcome, my love" Shepard returned the smile and kissed Liara tenderly as she pulled her towards her toned body, and into the stream of the shower. Liara winced slightly at the temperature "Sorry is it too warm? I'll turn it down..." apologised Samantha.

"No, its fine, I just wasn't expecting it to be quite so hot, but I am used to it now" Liara said grasping her lover's wrist as it reached for the dial. "I missed you..."

"I missed you too" Shepard rested her forehead against the Asari's. The black hair was clinging to her face and starting to block the gaze she had established with Liara's big blues, so she pushed it back with both hands.

"May I?" Liara asked cautiously and gestured towards the bottle of shampoo on the rack.

"Sure, go ahead" Sam said and passed the bottle.

Liara squeezed some of the contents into the palm of her hand then looked up at Samantha for approval on the quantity. Sam nodded, with a smile and stepped out of the stream of the shower.

Blue hands rubbed together, and then reached up to spread the slightly foaming substance over the sleek shoulder-length hair. She started to gently massage Sam's scalp, building up more and more foam. She gathered the knotted locks into a clump on the top of her lover's head and continued the gentle, slow massage, never taking her eyes from Samantha's.

Samantha slowly closed her eyes, not really wanting to break the gaze as she nuzzled her head into Liara's caressing hands. Those hands... those fingers... that massage... it was all having quite an effect the Commander as she took in the sensation which was managing to both relax and arouse her. "For someone with no hair, you're pretty good at this..." she smiled. "Is there anything those hands can't do?!"

Liara blushed slightly "I just wanted to feel what it was like – I have never had the pleasure of washing hair. It's quite... sensual..." now feeling quite aroused herself.

"Not usually, but in this case I'd have to agree!" She put one hand on a blue hip and another on the back of Liara's crest where it joined her ridged neck as she stepped back into the stream of the shower. Just before she kissed the equally swollen blue lips she whispered, "Close your eyes".

"Why?" said Liara, unwilling to end her gaze.

"Shampoo stings like a bitch if you get it in your eyes!"

"Oh... right..." Liara's words were muffled by Sam's lips.

The foam ran down their faces, over their shoulders and down their backs, as the two were locked together in their passionate embrace. When the foam was gone and Sam's hair was once more plastered to her face, she gently pushed Liara away. Liara leaned towards her, eyes sill shut, longing to retain contact. Suddenly she opened her eyes "what's wrong?" she asked with concern in her voice.

"Nothing at all" Sam said as she reached for the shower gel. "...just thought I might return the favour... so to speak" She filled her palm with gel, rubbed her hands together and proceeded to wash every inch, every ridge and curve of the blue beauty that stood before her.

Liara closed her eyes and relished the feelings brought with every touch. She had to steady herself against the cool wall of the shower as she felt her legs start to tremble underneath her when Sam reached her groin and at the same time started to caress the velvety crest. She let out a brief sigh of contentment as she absorbed every sensation. "Your hands ... are very ... Ahhh ... talented ... too ... my love..." she gasped.

After a minute or two, Liara couldn't stand the playful teasing any more, so she brought Samantha's hands to her chest and held them tightly. She intertwined her fingers with those of Sam's, and upon noticing something strange, she looked closer at Shepard's fingers. "Why are your fingers becoming all wrinkly?" Liara asked.

"It's an indication that we've been in here too long!" Sam replied, not really providing an answer.

Shepard smiled at the still slightly puzzled look on the Asari's face as she took the showerhead off its cradle and rinsed all the bubbles from the blue body. "There ... all done." She smiled and rinsed herself off quickly then replaced the showerhead and turned off the water.

They both stood there dripping.

Shepard wrung her hair gently as she looked the glistening Asari up and down. "I am the luckiest woman in the galaxy" she smiled shaking her head in disbelief as she spoke. She stroked Liara's blushing cheek and gently kissed her once more before stepping out of the shower. Samantha reached for her towel and tossed it to Liara who began drying herself. Shepard reached for another, rubbed her hair with it then wrapped it around herself.

Shepard walked over to her desk to check for messages, stepping over the clothes scattered round the room.

"By the Goddess, I've never seen such a mess!" Liara said a little shocked and surprised she hadn't noticed it on the way to the shower, but then again, her focus was on other things at that time!

"This is nothing! You should have seen my room when I was 15!" Samantha laughed. "The military soon knocked that sort of thing out of me though!" she sighed as she kicked some of the Asari's clothes over to her. "I guess we ought to tidy up a little"

"Erm, Samantha... Could I please borrow some clothes...?" Liara said after picking up her trousers, which were torn from the waist to the knee on the right leg. Then inspecting her tunic that had most of the right arm ripped off at the seam.

Sam smirked "Oh ... Yes, of course ... er ... sorry about ... Actually, hang on, I don't remember doing that."

"That's because you didn't, my love... it was me in my haste to get undressed..." Liara blushed

"Ohhh right... Wow." Shepard nodded as she threw a pair of casual uniform trousers and a t-shirt onto the messy bed. "Stronger than you look aren't you!"

"Never underestimate the strength that  _need_  gives a person!" Liara said casting 'that look' again.

"Oh, don't you start that again, Missy, or we'll be in and out of that shower all day!" Samantha replied as she continued dressing. Everything in her told her to shut up and get undressed again, but she knew they had to stop some time. It was now 13 hours since they'd first entered her quarters. They needed to eat. Sleep wouldn't be a bad idea too but unless it was in separate pods she knew where that would lead!

"We need to go get something to eat – I think I've worked up a bit of an appetite, how about you?!"

"Agreed. Erm, Samantha?" Liara stood there with her arms out to her sides, dwarfed by the baggy t-shirt. She'd given up trying to hold up the trousers that kept falling down over her hips and they were now crumpled round her ankles. "...do you have a spare belt?"

"Oh, so now you're calling me fat!?" Shepard laughed at the slender Asari's current predicament.

"Oh... no, of course not! I am sorry if I offended ... I didn't mean to imply..." Liara stammered only to be stopped by a finger pressing on her lips

"Joking, Liara. You're really gonna have to get used to my sense of humour... Then again, you are just the cutest thing when you get all 'babbly' like that!" Shepard rested her forehead on her lover's and threaded the belt through the loops on the trousers. "There, that's better. Besides, that t-shirt was always big on me too – should have known better than to give it to a slender young thing like yourself! Let's try another one"

"Young? I am more than 3 times your age, young lady!" Liara shook her finger at Sam with a frown, quickly followed by a grin.

"Sorry. Still can't quite get my head around that... I mean look at you!" Samantha said watching the Asari slip on a slightly better fitting t-shirt.

Liara smiled. "So... We have a week. What are you going to do with it?" Liara asked as she perched on the edge of the bed doing her boots up.

"Well, I don't know yet... but I was hoping not to have to spend it alone..." Shepard said coyly. "We could rent somewhere for the week – somewhere with a view ... eat out ... take in some sights ... if you want to join me, that is?"

"Of course I do – I missed you when you were only in the shower. I'm not letting you out of my sight!" Liara said possessively.

A relieved Sam continued "Hey, maybe we could even 'strut our funky stuff' at Flux - although that's always more fun when Ash is there – seriously, have you ever seen her dance? No rhythm at all!" Shepard had excitement written all over her face.

"I have never danced, Samantha. I wouldn't know how... it's not really a pre-requisite of being a "Prothean Expert" or an archaeologist..." Liara looked anxious and started wringing her hands like she always did when she was nervous. "What if I have no rhythm either...?"

"Hey, hey..." Shepard took a blue hand into her own and held it to her chest. "Believe me... there's nothing wrong with your rhythm! It's as natural as your beauty. Just go with what feels right. I seem to recall that method serving you well recently!"

Liara smiled, looking into her lover's eyes, and kissed her softly on her cheek. She put her arms round the commander's strong muscular shoulders and whispered into Sam's ear "How do you always know what to say to calm my anxiety?"

"Same way as you always know what I need to hear in any situation" Sam whispered as she rubbed the Asari's back to comfort her, "We know each other's ways, strengths, weaknesses... and desires". As she whispered the last part she laid the scientist back on the messy bed and manoeuvred herself in one swift move, so that she was resting on top of her azure lover looking into deep into her eyes. Shepard noticed one solitary tear had left a glistening trail down Liara's blue cheek, so she kissed it away gently removing the trail with her tongue. "I didn't mean to upset you, I'm sorry. You know I'd never make you do anything you didn't want to. I promise I won't make you dance."

"I know. Its ok. You make it sound like fun, so I'll give it a go – I'll never know unless I try, will I? But I'm definitely going with Ashley - it sounds like she will distract other's views away from me!" Liara joked.

"Oh, I love you, Liara" Shepard smiled and kissed Liara's lips, gently at first, then with more vigour as she felt the passion swelling up inside her once more.

 _Stop it, Shepard, control yourself!_  Shepard thought to herself.

Shepard rolled her eyes and broke off from the kiss, and stood up with her right arm out stretched offering a hand to her lover. "Right, lets go get something to eat – I'm starving and if we carry on like this we're never going to leave this room" She smiled at the blue maiden before her.

"Ok, if we must" Liara replied reluctantly and accepted the helping hand.

"We must!" Shepard grinned as Liara fell into her arms, much like she did by the Commander's locker after the  _Normandy_  was grounded. "We  _really_  must!"

...

The two lovers finally left the Commander's quarters some 10 minutes later – after a spot of tidying up. Shepard held her armour in her hands; Liara had her torn clothing.

"Hey, there you are... finally! What's that 14 hours?" Williams' voice came from the table in the mess.

"Er... yeah... Hey what are you still doing here?" Shepard asked trying to mask the blush that was rising in her cheeks.

"Well, I did leave, but at the back of my mind, there was just something bothering me – when I was cleaning, polishing and repairing all the weapons and armour there was one pistol and one human colossus armour missing. Call it 'doing my job well' or OCD, I just can't go on shore leave without it being done!" Ash explained

"Mmm hmmm...? Funny, because my instincts tell me to call that a pile of Varren crap! They also say that this is less to do with polishing guns and more to do with a bet as to when we would emerge... and that you're just on watch this particular shift. Oh, and I think you have probably been cooking up that lame excuse since you got here. Tell me I'm wrong..." Sam grinned at the Chief. "Who won the bet, Ash?"

"Wrex. And damn, Commander, your instincts are good" Ash smiled back. "Hungry?"

"Starving!" Shepard said. "Ok, I've got a plan. This is the last command I'm gonna make for a week, so you better follow it to the letter – Liara, go take your clothes back to your quarters and dress in something of your own... A little less ill fitting, ok?"

The observant Chief had already noticed the fact that Liara was wearing Shepard's clothes that were clearly a poor fit. Then curiosity got the better of her when she looked closer at the pile of clothes in Liara's arms. She stood and walked over to the shy Asari who looked at the ceiling. She couldn't meet the Chief's hazel eyes. Ashley smiled at the Commander with a raised eyebrow as she lifted the ragged and torn garments. "Wow... very good night I see"

"Ash, take my stuff down to the lower deck and pick up Tali" Shepard continued ignoring the chief's comment and actions.

"Hang on, how did you know Tali was still here?" Ashley asked, then answered her own question "Ah, those instincts again, right?"

"Right. I know she won't have left yet, it's like she's hooked to that drive core or something!" Shepard shook her head. "Everyone else is gone, right?"

"Yep. Just the four of us left. Everyone else scarpered hours ago." Ashley nodded.

"Well? What are you waiting for?." Shepard frowned. "Off you go!"

Liara and Ashley, now standing next to one another, both looked at the Commander with a questioning look. "But you haven't yet explained your plan?" asked Liara.

"Ha! When does she ever!?" Ashley whispered to Liara out of the corner of her mouth, causing the Asari to nod and smile.

Shepard raised her arms to the side and wrapped her them around the others shoulders. "Girls Night Out! – Come on now… move! That's an order!" Shepard pinched Liara's firm buttock, and winked at her lover as she walked towards the medbay door, making the Asari blush once more. "I'll meet you all at the airlock in 5".

Liara turned, bowed her head slightly, winked back and slowly slinked off to her quarters. The commander watched her go, unconsciously tilting her head slightly towards her right shoulder.

"Ahem!" Ashley cleared her throat, snapping the Commander out of her stare. The chief smiled and patted Shepard's shoulder. "Whoa, you've got it bad, Skipper!".

"Yup... Indeed I have..." Shepard shook her head as Liara disappeared from sight. "That's now 4 minutes, Williams, move it!" Shepard said firmly, but with a friendly smile.

"Aye, Ma'am" saluted Williams. "...and if you don't mind me asking, what will you be doing?"

"I've got a call to make, Chief" Shepard said as she headed back to her quarters.


	3. The 3 stage plan - Stage 1

Chapter 3: The 3 Stage Plan - Stage 1

Stage 1

Shepard was sat at the empty pilot's station waiting for the others. Some 5 minutes this is turning out to be! She thought, checking the time on the display which told her it had already been 9 minutes.

Liara showed up first, wearing a new very tight, slightly revealing v-necked tunic and some leggings which definitely didn't require a belt. "Is this what you had in mind?" she smiled and gave a slow twirl.

Shepard stepped towards Liara, held her by the waist and looked her straight in the eyes. Her gaze slowly shifted to the asari's inviting lips. "Oh yeah. I'll say" she said with a smile and leaned in for a kiss. "You are so beautiful..."

Voices were approaching from the stairs.

"But Chief! I just have another 4 or so hours then I can definitely make the Normandy's drive core 3.2% more efficient!" Tali exclaimed "You cannot make me leave when I am so close!"

"Firstly, over four hours is not 'close'. Secondly, you have no option! I am following an order – you are coming with us…" Ashley appeared from the doors to the staircase literally dragging the young quarian by the wrist.

"But..." Tali didn't get the chance to retaliate before the Gunnery Chief suddenly whirled around and fixed her with a threatening stare "Look, it's simple. Are you stronger than me? No. Could I just pick you up and carry you to the airlock whether you like it or not? Yes. Are you going to carry on arguing with me? NO – you are not!" Ash continued to drag the complaining engineer towards where Shepard was standing.

"Skipper, tell her!" Ashley bellowed.

Shepard's head turned towards the incoming duo just as her pink lips brushed against blue. She sighed, rested her head on Liara's and reluctantly released the asari from her embrace.

"You can play with the drive core anytime Tali – tonight is "Girls Night" and you ARE going to have a good time – understand?" Shepard commanded.

"But I … I am busy. I can't afford to have a 'Girls Night'…" Tali argued. "Besides, it's only 1030."

"Hey, that's a good point, Skipper." Ashley chimed in.

"You're on leave Tali – that means you have to actually get off the ship and do something other than the stuff you usually do" Shepard explained speaking slowly. "…and Ashley, I am well aware of what time it is. We need a bit of preparation time... As of this minute, you can all disregard rank and call me Sam – we are off duty after all. We are simply a group of friends on a night out."

"So what are we going to do all day?" asked a confused Ashley.

"Oh, don't worry. I have a 3 stage plan."

"And do we get to know the details of this plan, Sam?" Liara asked with a knowing tilt of her head, and cast a smile at Ashley.

"Absolutely not!" Shepard grinned, feeling quite chuffed with herself. "Follow me" she turned and strode towards the airlock.

Ashley looked at Liara and Tali, shrugged and followed after Sam.

"But Liara, I do not understand why I have to come too!" pleaded the quarian

Liara rested a hand on Tali's shoulder and squeezed it gently "Didn't you hear what she said? - 'We are simply a group of friends on a night out'." The asari quoted."That's because Sam regards you as a friend, Tali. So do I, and I am sure Ashley feels the same. We all want you join us"

"Oh … I … wow …I didn't know ... er..." Tali's words fell into a stunned mumble as she walked behind the asari to join the others.

…

As Shepard stood in the lift, surrounded by her pack of girlies, she casually stretched her neck and rolled her shoulders.

Ashley was stood behind Sam, still wearing a bit of a frown – she let out a gentle sigh.

"Stop worrying, Ash… I'll tell you about Stage 1 if you like…" Shepard offered.

"Better than nothing… go on…" Ash stepped forward to stand next to Sam

"Stage 1 – Food" Sam had a smug look on her face

"Food…? That's your plan…? Any other details?" Ash slowly shook her head.

"Ok, ok – I'm treating you all to a meal at the fanciest restaurant on the citadel… we'll have our own private table and everything."

"Ah, that was what that call was all about… You were making the reservation." Ash was catching on slowly.

"Mostly…" Sam muttered under her breath.

"How did you manage to get a table at such short notice?" Tali asked

"Spectre status, plus the fact that we saved everyone in the galaxy, seems to open quite a few doors" Shepard answered. "I'm told they do everything there... Oh, just think about it Ash... A nice big juicy steak, or..."

"Yeah. Uh... Sounds good…". Ash interrupted as she leaned over to whisper into Sam's ear "...but what about Tali…"

"What about Tali...?" a puzzled frown crept across the spectre's face followed by the dawning realisation. She whispered back to Ashley. "Oh...! Er... You know, I never thought of that... How do quarians eat...? Amongst other things..."

"I don't know - but it'd be rude to just ask her now though, right...? I mean she's been on the Normandy for weeks and none of us thought to ask?" Ash felt a little guilty as she realised their neglect of a supposed friend.

"In Asari culture, it is very rude to whisper - I believe this is also true amongst humans... Care to share the secret?"

Liara had a surprisingly frosty tone to her voice as she spoke from behind the two conspirators.

"Sorry... it's… er… nothing" Sam blushed a little at being chastised by the 106 year old, and looked at the floor. "I was just asking the Chief a personal question..."

Actually, Liara might know... Since she seems to know so much about other cultures. Shepard thought and looked the asari in the eyes, then turned back to Ash and gestured in Liara's direction with a wink.

Ash took that to either mean 'I'm in trouble with my old lady' or 'ooh, get her!' Either way she nodded back at Sam with a smirk.

When the elevator finally came to a stop, Shepard broke the now awkward silence by saying to Tali "Right, you and Ashley go set up the rapid transport over there - we'll be with you in a moment"

This time Ashley realised that her commander's previous gesture actually meant 'she'll know'... so she grabbed Tali's arm and dragged her off towards the CRT.

Sam turned and held Liara by the shoulders. "Liara, quick... how do quarians eat?" Sam asked hurriedly.

"I don't know... Why would you think I would know?" Liara was most confused, both by the question and by the urgency in Sam's voice.

"Well... you researched humans... And me... I just thought maybe you might have done the same about quarians..." Sam said looking more worried now.

"I'm sorry, Sam... I didn't... I didn't exactly have the same motivation to investigate Tali... Or her people..." Liara's words trailed of as she looked at the floor. She always felt so embarrassed when she recalled how angry Sam had been that she'd gone 'behind her back'.

Shepard reached out, lifted Liara's chin and forced her to meet her gaze. "Hey, don't you go all quiet on me again. I told you, I wasn't mad. I was upset that I'd made you feel like you couldn't just ask me." Shepard planted a gentle kiss on Liara's forehead.

Liara visibly shook herself and entered 'scientist mode'. "Ok, let's think... I have seen the special quarian meal packs in the mess, but I have no idea how they consume them. To be honest, I've never seen Tali in the mess. In all my time aboard the Normandy, I think I have only once seen her outside the engine room and that was when she was in a sleeper pod" there was growing concern in her voice as she spoke. She felt very guilty for not thinking of this before.

"Right. It looks like I'm gonna have to wing this one then." Shepard looked worried as she took Liara's hand and walked over to the CRT.

As they approached Ashley stood with hands on hips and said "Sorry Sam, but since we don't actually know where we're going, it's kinda hard to select the correct journey… you know?"

Shepard tapped the destination into the CRT's control panel. They all got in and Tali asked "So where are we eating then?"

At this, two of her companions seemed to squirm a little. "Wait and see" Shepard replied, briefly breaking her deep thought process.

Right, so she definitely does eat... in some way... If they have everything at this restaurant, does that include quarian food? Oh, I hope so... But why would it...? It's not like they'd have many visitors from the flotilla...You idiot, Sam! Mind you, there must be some provisions made for when the diplomats or whatever, pay a visit..." Shepard knew she was clutching at straws.

The rapid transport pulled up outside a very posh looking restaurant.

"What is this place?" Liara asked as she tried to spot a sign and looked through the frosted windows.

Shepard led them towards the door and held it open for the three women. "Apparently, it's so upmarket it 'doesn't need to have a name'..." She said trying to make it sound all mysterious. "Well, that's what Avina told me anyway..."

Sam walked up to the counter. "I have a reservation under the name Shepard"

The human male sat at the desk politely replied "Of course Commander. Please follow me"

The smartly dressed man led them to a private area and seated Shepard's companions at their table.

"Could I have a quick word...?" Shepard said in a lowered tone to the usher. "In private."

"Of course." The man bowed his head as she led him away from the table. "How may I help you?"

"Do you serve quarians here? I mean, do you have quarian food on the menu and if so, what form does it take?" Shepard asked with urgency.

"Madam, we entertain representatives from every one of the races in Citadel Space" his head wobbled atop his neck, cockily as he continued. "We have gourmet quarian meal packs, prepared in the most sanitary conditions, so as not to upset their delicate systems"

"Good, good. That's ok then ... thanks. I best go join my friends" Shepard patted the man on the shoulder as she walked away.

"I shall send a waiter over to you shortly" the man bowed his head again and left to return to his station.

Shepard felt relieved, and returned to the group.

"Watcha drinkin', Skipper... I mean, Sam?" asked the Chief as Shepard returned to the private table.

"Scotch please, Ash. Make it a large one!"

"Liara?" Ashley continued asking round the table.

"Oh, just an Ice-water for me, please. We asari do not tend to consume alcohol often, and I have never been able to hold my drink well"

"Cheap date there, Skipper!" Ashley winked at Sam and nudged her with her elbow.

"Tali... Er... do you...? I mean ... can you...?" stuttered the Chief.

Oh for crying out loud! Nicely done, Ash. Very subtle! Shepard thought as pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head.

"It's ok Ashley. Few people know how we quarians work..." it sounded like Tali was smiling as she spoke.

"I'm sorry, Tali. It's just that, 'til now... I never really..." Ash started stammering again.

"As you know, we have to wear environmental suits when we leave the Flotilla as we have weak immune systems. The suit keeps us nourished for a several days, but we do have to 'top up' by consuming a nutrient pack." Tali explained to her friends.

"But how do you actually 'consume' it?" Liara asked.

The young engineer continued "There is a device in the abdominal section of the Enviro-suit which sucks up the contents of a pack into another container within my suit. I then 'eat' the content from there."

"So… it's like a built-in... refillable food packet… with some kind of straw attachment which goes to helmet so you can reach it with your mouth?" Sam asked, trying to imagine the process.

"Exactly. I know this may seem a long-winded way of eating but it means that there is no chance of contamination, and I do not have to be exposed to be able to nourish myself."

"So… What about drinking?" asked Ashley, getting back to her original point.

"There is simply no need as my suit uses the liquid I consume from the pack to maintain my hydration level. Whist it is an efficient method, it is not a particularly enjoyable one... The standard nourishment packs are usually just tasteless mush."

"Wow, your teeth must be going soft in there... I mean, if you have teeth... Oh God, I'm just gonna shut up now..." Ash held her face in her hands.

"Yes, Chief, I do have teeth... And you're probably right as I haven't had to chew since my last meal back on the Flotilla!" Tali laughed at the poor human's embarrassed squirming.

"Right... well... Now we know!" Shepard concluded. "Shall we check out the menu then? Oh, Tali, I checked... They have "Gourmet" quarian food packs - perhaps they will be a little tastier than the ones back on the Normandy..."

"Excellent. I do hope so. Thank you, Sam" Tali was quite excited at the prospect of taste.

The group was joined by another presence. "Are you ready to order your drinks, Commander?" asked the waiter.

"I believe we are... Over to you, Ash"

"Large Scotch... times two, and an Ice-water. Thank you"

"Very good Madam" the waiter said and left the room.

"Hey, I've never been called "Madam" before... It's weird." The chief said to her companions in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, the other guy said that to me earlier. This off-duty thing is quite strange!" Shepard agreed.

The group of friends ordered their food, and consumed their sources of nourishment in their own ways, whilst they conversed for hours about all manner of subjects.

Sam stretched a little as the conversation drew to a natural pause. "Right, I have to leave you for while, but I need you to meet me at the Embassy's reception in an hour. And be prompt this time." Shepard looked at the faces in front of her and smiled. She stood and raised the remaining content of her scotch glass in a toast. "Thank you for a most delightful lunch... I cannot think of a lovelier group of people with whom to share a day like this. I am proud to call you all friends"

"Oh jeez, she's clearly wasted..." Ash took all the soppy sentiment out in one foul swoop. "How many have you had now?"

"Ahem... Thanks for that, Ash..." Sam shook her head as she walked round the table towards the door. She leaned over and kissed Liara on the top of her crest as she passed.

There were many things to be done and not much time to do it in. Stage 2 would require some preparation.

...

The three friends stayed and continued to converse for a little while. Ash continued drinking.

"Hey, I just noticed something" said a slightly tipsy Ashley. "You haven't got any ears..." She was now staring intently at the side of Liara's head.

"Not quite like yours, no. Our 'ears' lie just under the first ridge on the sides of the crest where it meets the jaw. They are in much the same location as yours". Liara replied with a nod. "Other than the obvious differences, we are anatomically very similar to human females".

Ashley looked either puzzled or queasy. Liara wasn't sure which until the Chief queried "The 'obvious' being the whole blue thing, right?"

"Yes Chief, the 'whole blue thing'… plus the crest and the fact that they do not have hair" Tali elaborated

"Oh right, yeah..." Ashley still looked a little queasy so Liara took action.

"I think we should go and get some air - lets start our stroll to the embassy".

Liara checked that Sam had dealt with the bill as Tali tried to help Ash to the door.

"I'm ok, really... I can hold my drink better than the Skipper... I mean Sam... Oh, whatever..." Ashley struggled from the quarian's hold. As they approached the door, the chief winced when the light from the artificial sun struck her eyes.

"So what do you think she's up to?" Liara walked between her two friends.

"Stage 2, I guess..." smiled Ash.


	4. The three stage plan - Stage 2

 

**Stage 2**

"So, everything is ready - you managed to get  _everything_  for me?" Shepard asked Captain Anderson.

Anderson handed Sam a small envelope. "Yes, it's all there. Guess we've both called in a few favours for this one."

"Yeah, you could say that... especially with the short notice and everything... but there aren't many people refusing to help me at the moment so I figured I'd better make the most of it!" Shepard squeezed the envelope as she spoke.

"It's good to see you in casual mode. Shore leave doesn't happen often so you should make the most of that too" Anderson led Sam out of the human embassy door.

"Oh, I intend to. You were right. Everyone needs a break sooner or later" Shepard turned and hugged the bewildered Captain "Thanks... for everything... I really appreciate it… Not just this stuff today, I mean for before too… you know... for releasing the  _Normandy_ "

The Captain reciprocated the hug and said quietly "Believe me, it was my pleasure - I'd been waiting for an opportunity to punch Udina for months!"

Shepard laughed slightly louder than she probably should have as she released the Captain. "I'm sure you're one amongst many! I best be off then... See you next week". With that Sam turned and headed down to the reception area to meet her pack.

...

"She tells us to be prompt... the cheek!" Ashley said, noting that the commander was now one and a half minutes late.

"Hey Tali, did we tell you the reason the Commander took so long to emerge from the wreckage?" as the Chief spoke, Liara shot her a fierce look.

"Yes, I have heard the 'Mooning at certain death' story..." Tali answered

"Ok... What about 'the pose'?" Ashley teased.

Liara now looked confused, if a little worried "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, c'mon... Don't tell me you didn't notice the cheesy old holo-vid superhero-style pose, she did on top of that big chunk of rubble?" Ashley started laughing.

"Oddly enough, Chief, I was more relieved that she was actually  _alive_." Liara glared.

"Well, of course... I was too, at first when we caught a glimpse of red and black running through the wreckage... But when she did 'the pose'... I mean, all she needed was a wind machine and a cape! I couldn't stop laughing!" Ashley was now shaking with laughter.

The asari was now smiling. "Actually... Looking back, it was quite funny... Oh, and did you see that grin? I believe you humans have a phrase about a cheesy cat...?" Liara was now laughing along with her two companions.

In all the hilarity, none of them had noticed Sam coming down the stairs, walking up behind them... or the fact she had been listening to the last part of their conversation. She was now stood there with her arms folded and said in her scariest sounding voice. "That's 'grinning like a  _Cheshire_ cat, Liara."

 _"_ Oh, Sam... We were just..." Liara started babbling.

"Taking the micky out off your commanding officer, and 'saviour of the galaxy' while she's not here to defend herself" Shepard still had her arms folded.

"Er… It's not her fault ma'am, I started it... I'm sorry..." Ashley spoke very apologetically.

"Its ok guys... I'm kidding... Thinking about it now, I know what it looked like, but you can't say you wouldn't have done the same, Ash. It just felt like one of those moments!" Shepard was now laughing herself. "I guess it was pretty cheesy... But I couldn't help the grin. My friends were still alive and we'd saved the day! What's not to smile about?"

"Ok, I'll let you off with the grin, but that pose story is gonna keep me in drinks for the rest of my life!" Ash said leaning against the railings.

"Ok, everything is ready… Shall we?" Shepard said, inter-locking her arm with Liara's.

"What is ready? Where are we going, my love?" Liara asked.

"Stage 2 - Rest and Relaxation." Sam squeezed her arm and dragged her off to the nearby CRT.

"So you're not going to elaborate on this one the, Skip... Er, Sam?"

"No Ash, I'm not." Sam said climbing into the transport.

"Just wait and see, Ashley" Tali said, nudging the Chief as she followed the Spectre into the vehicle.

They arrived at a set of recently built apartments which had managed not to receive any damage during Saren's attack.

"Welcome home!" Shepard spread her arms wide and looked at the bewildered faces. "I bought a couple of apartments for when we are docked here. This one is for Liara and me. Next-door belongs to you and Tali" Shepard was now addressing the chief who was just staring at her, open mouthed. "Ash? Are you ok, Ash?"

"I… I have a place in the citadel? Are you joking? My sisters are gonna be so jealous!" Ash ran up to Sam, flung her one good arm round her commander's waist and gave her a massive bear hug, lifting the Spectre clean off the floor.

Tali quietly approached Sam once the Chief had set her back down and run off towards the door "I do not know what to say... I do not want you to think I am rejecting your kind gift, but I was intending to return to the flotilla in the near future"

"Just know that it's there if you need it, and you have a place to stay when you come to visit." Sam gave the young engineer a gentle hug.

"V-Visit?" Tali stuttered. "Yes ... I suppose I could, couldn't I? Thank you, Commander. Thank you so much!"

Shepard took a key card out of the envelope and threw it to Ashley. "Oh, and there are a couple of surprises in there too. Enjoy! You need to get a bit of rest for tonight, so we'll meet you out here at 2100"

Ashley saluted wearing a massive grin and disappeared into the apartment closely followed by the now extremely excited quarian.

"Now, my love..." Sam picked up Liara and carried her over the threshold. "There'll be no interruptions here!"

The door slid open to reveal a beautiful apartment containing a lounge/dining area, fully fitted kitchen, large bathroom and what looked like a small guest bedroom. So far that was all Liara could see into. There was another door which was closed. She could only assume that was the master bedroom.

"Go open that door there." Sam said, putting the shocked asari down and gestured towards the closed door.

Liara cautiously opened the door. The aroma hit her, nearly knocking her off her feet.

The room was filled with every type of flower native to her home-world of Thessia, and blue petals were strewn across the bed.

"Sam? How did you do this? When did you do this?"

"All in a morning's work, my love. Just had to call in a few favours..." Shepard walked up behind Liara and wrapped her arms around the asari's slender waist and rested her chin upon her shoulder.

Liara was just stood starring at the room in disbelief.

"And this is ours...? Together...? Really...?" Liara turned to look Sam straight in the eyes.

"All ours. If that's ok with you..." Shepard was interrupted by an enthusiastic kiss from her lover which she took as a 'yes'.

"I love you, Samantha..." Liara led Sam over to the large petal covered bed.

…

Ashley couldn't believe the size of the place… especially after living on the Normandy where she had no quarters of her own, this was practically a palace!

There was a huge holo-vid display in the lounge and a big soft couch.

Tali sat down and bounced on the seat a little. "This is possibly the comfiest thing I have ever sat on!"

"The fridge is fully stocked with ice-cold beers and your gourmet food packs." the Chief called to Tali from the kitchen as she opened up every cupboard in sight.

Tali got up and headed to the sliding doors in the lounge. "Oh, wow... Ashley, come and look at this! We have a balcony overlooking the whole citadel! And I can just see the nebula too!"

"Oh my God. This place is amazing!" Ashley said as she joined Tali. "Hey, we haven't looked at our rooms yet"

"I have never had my own room before. There is a very limited amount of space on the flotilla" Tali said sounding slightly nervous as she approached a door marked 'Tali'.

Ashley followed Tali. The quarian opened the door to reveal a decent size room with a bed, a desk with a terminal and one other surprising thing... "I-is that a sleeper pod?" Ashley said in disbelief.

"It is... But how did she...?" Tali stumbled over her words.

"Look, there's a note on the pod door" Ashley said reaching for it.

She read the note aloud:

_Dear Tali_

_I figured you probably aren't used to sleeping in anything but a pod, but this way you have the option. (In case you're wondering, Admiral Hacket arranged the pod - he owed me a couple of favours anyway!) You also have a terminal so that you can stay in touch with the Flotila. Plus the kitchen is stocked with some of those gourmet food packs._

_I have also sent you a detailed report of everything you have done during our missions... Thought this might be useful to give to any quarian captain whose crew you might wish to join when you decide to return to your people._

_Thanks for everything Tali._

_Sam._

"That is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. But how did she know I have never slept in anything but sleeper pods?" Tali was astounded by the generosity of the Spectre

"That'll be those instincts of hers again. Damn, she's good." said Ash. "Hey, wonder what I got!" She ran off towards the room that had her name on it.

Ash tentatively opened the door to her room… the lay out was pretty much the same as Tali's but where the sleeper pod was, there was a wardrobe. On the bed there was a book.

"I can't believe she remembered!" Ash said to Tali who was now standing in the door.

"What is it?" asked the young engineer

"It's a really old book… of the works of Tennyson… he wrote Ulysses which I used to record for my Dad when he went away… I told her about it once in the Cargo Hold, but I didn't even think she was really listening… I can't believe it…" Ashley sat on the bed in stunned silence.

Tali shifted awkwardly in the doorway. "Chief…? Are you ok? And, what is a  _book_?"

Ash laughed. "I never thought of that, but I guess your people have used OSDs and Omni-tools for a very long time, huh?! Er… Books are a bunch of papers bound together – it was the way we used to store all our information before computers"

"Wow… I guess that's pretty old then" Tali stepped forward to take a better look

"Two hundred years at least… how the hell did she manage to pull this off…? Oh wait there's a note too…"

_Dear Ashley_

_You have always been my rock, both in and out of combat. I wanted to give you something that would make a difference to you. I pulled some strings and managed to get the Alliance Brass to agree to look into 're-evaluating' your grandfather's actions in Shanxi. You should be hearing from them in a week or so. Then you should stop being blacklisted, and after your actions here against Saren and Sovereign, you will finally get the reputation the Williams' name deserves._

_Oh, and open the wardrobe – figured you'd like some new gear too!_

_I have requested that you become a permanent member of my crew wherever I go… got to wait and see what the Brass say to that too._

_Thanks, not only for being a good soldier, but for being my best friend too._

_Sam_

Ashley quickly wiped her tear filled eyes and sniffed hard.

Tali broke the silence that lingered for a few seconds. "So… what's in the wardrobe?"

"Oh yeah...!" Ash sprung to her feet and yanked the wardrobe door open. "Oh… my … God! That woman is the best!"

The chief hurriedly pulled out the brand new Colossus X armour and held it up to her "I'm gonna be invincible!... Ooh, hang on…" She'd noticed a metallic case in the bottom. She flung the armour on the bed and picked up the case. Set it down gently and opened it.

"This is all the best weaponry available… HMWA X, HMWSG X, HMWP X, and a HMWSR X. Boy am I gonna enjoy polishing these babies!" Ashley was looking down the sights of the Sniper Rifle.

"You're a very strange person Chief…" Tali laughed.

"Say's you 'Miss I only sleep in a pod' or 'Miss I spend HOURS tapping on my omni-tool trying to make an already fantastic engine work slightly better'!" Ashley retaliated with a smile.

"Good point – speaking of pods, the Commander… er… Sam said we should get some sleep for tonight. I'm going to retire to my pod" Tali yawned and trotted off leaving Ashley trying on her new armour.

…..

Next door, the happy couple was locked in a semi-naked embrace in the midst of scattered petals.

"Hey, you haven't seen my second present yet" Sam said breaking away from Liara's lips.

"Second present…?" Liara asked.

"Take a look in that wardrobe over there" she pointed towards the object in the corner of the room.

Liara stood, now just wearing her under-garments, and opened the door. She looked back at Sam who was lying back on the bed with her arms behind her head, looking chuffed with herself.

"I-it's a... dress..." Liara had a shocked expression.

"Yup... Sha'ira helped me get it for you... You like...?" Sam's face was still covered by a smug grin.

Liara stared at Sam. Looked at the dress, then back at Sam.

"How could you...? You have been... Ugh, I can't even talk to you right now" Liara said angrily between sobs, then grabbed her clothes and stormed out of the room.

Sam sat up quickly, now total confusion held her features "Liara, wait. What's the matter? Wait!" She stood, pulled on her t-shirt and ran after the asari.

She just caught sight of Liara as she disappeared into the guest bedroom. Sam knocked on the door "LIARA! I don't understand! What's wrong?"

Sam tried the door - it opened briefly, just enough for her to see a glowing Liara use a flick of her wrist to slam it shut with her biotics.

"Did you just use your biotics on me? What the hell, Liara!? " Sam was now shouting, confusion was slowly turning to anger.

"I cannot even look at you right now, Samantha. You have hurt me... You have made me realise you do not know me at all..."

"What? I know you. I love you! Please, Liara... I don't know what's going on here. Did you not like the dress? Its ok, we can take it back and get you one you like. No problem!" Sam pleaded.

The door slowly opened. Liara stood in the doorway, tears streaming down her face. "You don't understand - why would you think  _I_ would like a dress?"

"Well...uh... I thought... Nearly every asari I see, other than commandos, wear dresses... Even the councillor and your mother. I thought you asari liked to look pretty..." Sam instantly regretted the last sentence as it fell from her lips.

"I see... And just when have you known me to be like the other asari...?" Liara was exceptionally angry, but it was the calm angry which is usually the most dangerous type. "Samantha... You have been in my mind, shared my memories. When have I ever been known to wear a dress? You should know from the joining that dresses make me very uncomfortable as I don't like to draw attention to myself, just as I know that you hate anything that puts you in a feminine light – for some reason it makes you feel weak. And you can't stand that."

Sam thought about it. Liara was right. What with her spending much of her time around ruins, there were probably absolutely no instances within the last fifty years that called for the young Asari Scientist to wear a dress. She had no doubt been wearing a lab coat the entire time! "I, I didn't mean to upset you... I really didn't... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry!" Sam pleaded realising her error.

"It's too late Sam. I now realise that you just see me as an object to just dress up and walk around with on your arm. You don't know me at all..." Liara broke down, turned her back to the door, closing it with her weight as she slid down to a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Liara! Liara!" Sam banged on the door "I'm so sorry - I don't see you like that at all! I love you! Please, talk to me!"

A sniffling Liara replied between sobs "Just go away. Leave me. I need to be on my own... Go out... Just leave me for a few hours... please."

"I'm not going anywhere... Please..." Sam was now on her knees leaning forwards against the door.

"Just Go...!" was the stern reply.

Sam stood, visibly shaken. She went to get dressed, and within 5 minutes had left the apartment with a shout of "Fine... I'm going!"

It was still 2 hours before the friends were due to meet. Sam decided she needed a drink to calm her down, so she went to the rapid transport and punched in Choras' Den as her destination.

...

Sam leaned against the bar and beckoned the barman over "Large Scotch please"

The barman set the drink down in front of her. She picked up the glass, and slowly swigged at the content.

"Hey Commander... Didn't know this was your kinda place" Sam hadn't noticed Joker sitting a couple of chairs down.

Sam walked over to where the pilot was perched. "Might have figured it was yours though. I just needed a drink..."

"You ok? You seem a little shaken..." Joker seemed genuinely concerned. There was no hint of his usual sarcasm.

"Liara and I just had a fight..." her tone was a mixture of confusion, hurt and anger.

"First one, huh?"

"Yup... It's all my fault. Stupid dress. Such an idiot..." Shepard mumbled. "...and now she won't even speak to me. She even used her biotics to shut me out of the room... Can you believe that?"

"What was that about a 'stupid dress'?" asked Joker

"I bought her a dress for a present..."

"You bought  _Liara_  a dress? Shy, timid, nervous little Prothean Expert...?" Joker seemed surprised.

"I know... I know... I wasn't thinking, ok? I was thinking about what would an asari like, instead of what would Liara like..." Sam now had her head on the bar. "What am I supposed to do? She told me to get out... that she couldn't talk to me now..."

"So you came here? To a bar full of asari dancers... Do you think that was wise?" Joker sounded different to usual. More... mature.

"Hmm, maybe not. I'll head back when I've finished my drink. Anyway, what's with you and this mature advice thing…? Where are all the sarcastic quips?" Sam was seeing Joker in a different light.

"I'm not always like that. I can be serious..." said a slightly offended Joker "Just wish the Chief would see it... take me seriously..."

Shepard lifted her head from the bar. "Whoa, what? You've got the hots for Ash?"

"I just like her, that's all... but she'd never look twice at me. I've spent some time with her recently, see, she doesn't sleep well, and I'm usually up anyway, so she comes and talks to me... I think she likes my company sometimes, but I don't think she sees me like that..." Joker let out a dejected sigh.

"Well, if I'm honest, I never knew this side of you existed. Maybe she'd like you if you showed this side more often and stopped being such … well … such an ass all the time..." Shepard was now the one with advice.

"Yeah I know… Old habits though…" Joker sighed and nodded, taking a gulp of his drink.

"Well I'd better go see if I can't straighten things out with Liara. Oh, and Ash will be at Flux tonight... Just FYI" she winked at the pilot as she left. He seemed to perk up at that little gem of information and smiled back at her.

...

Sam entered the apartment. The guest door was still closed.

"Liara, please let me in... I need to talk to you... I know I was wrong... Liara?"

She opened the door but the room was empty. There was a note on the bed:

_Sam - I needed some air. I will meet you at Flux later._

That was it... "Does that mean she has forgiven me?" Sam hoped, but decided that was probably wishful thinking.

She sat around until it was time to meet Ashley and Tali outside. At 2100 she got up from her perch on the sofa and wiped away the tears before she left.


	5. The three stage plan - Stage 3

**Stage 3**

"Have you seen Liara?" a red-eyed Shepard asked the Chief the second she stepped out of her new apartment.

"What? No, why? Isn't she with you?" Ash wondered what had happened to get the Skipper so flustered. "Tali and I both loved our presents, by the way."

"What? Oh, yeah... Good. Look Liara and I had a fight. She told me to leave. I left, came back and she was gone. She just left this" Sam handed Ashley the note.

"Well let's go to flux then..." Ash suggested after reading.

"Ok, but she was really mad with me..." Sam hung her head and explained what had happened with the dress.

"Right, I am refreshed and ready for this evening, Commander... Sam," said Tali emerging from next door. "Your gifts were extremely generous - Many thanks"

"Yeah, sure... No problem" Sam was a little distracted. Ashley explained the situation quickly to Tali.

"Well let's go then! The sooner you see her, the sooner you can get all this sorted out" Tali, pushed her companions towards the CRT.

Sam selected Flux from the options on the transport's display. "Please let her be there." She muttered under her breath.

They pulled up outside the club, got out and walked up the staircase. The music was loud, thumping and repetitive. Sam was already getting a headache. She looked around the club... No sign of Liara. "Damn it, where is she?"

"The note did say 'later'... Just let's go sit down for a bit." Taking Sam's arm, Ashley guided the shaking Spectre over to a table.

"I can't stand this! I know she's out there somewhere... and she's hurting... I can't just sit here." Sam's eyes betrayed the mix of emotions she was feeling inside.

Just then, Liara walked in and went straight over to the bar. She cast a look in their direction and took a seat with her back to them.

Sam stood, but was instantly pulled back down to her seat by Ash who said "Let me go talk to her... OK?"

Sam just nodded and watched Ash walk over and pull up a stool next to Liara. "Hello, Ashley" Liara bowed her head slightly, in greeting. "Can I help you?"

Ash tried to gauge the severity of the argument from Liara's tone. The asari seemed very serious. "She's really messed up you know... I've never ever seen her cry before..." the Chief explained

Liara's stern expression turned to one of sadness and hurt. "She really upset me. I know she was only trying to do something nice, but it just proved that she doesn't really know me at all. She just wanted me to 'look pretty' on her arm. Like that's all 'we asari' are good for... Like I'm anything like the majority of the asari she has met..."

"She doesn't think that... she wouldn't, Li... You know that. She only does things she thinks are going to make people happy. Ok, so she misjudged your gift a little. Maybe for once her instincts were a little off. But the intention would never have been to  _upset_  you." Ash tried to explain.

Liara hung her head "I know ... I ... I just expected she would know me better ... after the joining. She has seen all my thoughts and memories. She knows me as well as I do. Or at least she should do."

"Hang on, Liara... She's not an asari. She isn't a natural at this joining stuff. Did you ever stop to think maybe it's not all as crystal clear to her as it is to you...? Maybe it takes more, uh... practice to develop anything near the same level of skill in understanding it, as you have naturally?" Ashley saw the asari's eyes widen, struck with fear at this revelation.

"Oh my... What have I done? You are probably right Chief. I must talk to..." Liara turned round to look in Shepard's direction, but at the table there was only Tali.

Ash and Liara walked over to the lone quarian. "Where is she?" asked Williams.

"She was just sat there fidgeting in her seat. Then she suddenly looked up, mumbled something about an idea and left about 2 minutes ago. I-I think she's coming back." Tali explained. "She was really upset... It was strange to see someone... usually so... strong... all broken and crying. I think she's really sorry Liara..."

"I know. She didn't mean to upset me. Perhaps I-I over-reacted" Liara tried to blink away the mounting tears that gathered in the corners of her eyes.

The human and the asari joined the quarian at the table. They sat in silence except for an occasional sniffle from Liara's direction. Minutes passed. Several long minutes.

Then something happened that the Chief would NEVER forget. "Oh... My..." For the first time ever she was completely lost for words. Liara spun round on her chair to see whatever Ashley was looking at. The asari's jaw dropped.

At the door stood Sam. Leaning seductively against the wall. She cast Liara her own version of 'the look', and was wearing the dress... full make-up... and heels! Her toned frame was perhaps a little bulky for the dress but it still fit well; The floor length pink and lilac dress was skin tight, left much of the top half uncovered - save for a few well positioned straps and bands of material, and had a long split up the right leg revealing her thigh as she moved. It was a far cry from the Spectre's usual Colossus armour or casual Navy uniform.

The Spectre smiled at the three stunned faces staring at her. Then became more self-conscious as she realised the rest of the club was staring too, but shrugged it off and tottered over to the shocked Asari.

"Liara, I am so sorry." Sam spread her arms. "This is how sorry I am."

"Sam, I am sorry too... I know you didn't mean it... I... You look so... so..." Liara leapt up and embraced her apologetic lover as she struggled to articulate her thoughts.

"Hot!" helped Ash.

Liara laughed and nodded. Even more so when she saw the surprise on Sam's face reflected in Ashley's.

"I'm sorry. Uh... I'm not quite sure where that came from." Ashley's cheeks had turned a dark red colour.

Liara returned her gaze to the eyes of the feminine spectre stood in front of her. "I'd love to dance. If you'd like to? You... you look beautiful..."

"Well, I sure don't feel it! Now I totally get the point you were making earlier. I am so sorry, Liara. I didn't think. I should have known better." Sam gently kissed the plump blue lips in front of her. "But, if we're gonna dance, I need to take these shoes off before I kill myself!"

The spectre sat down, pulled the heels off and kicked them under the table. She wiggled her toes freely "They are  _so_  uncomfortable! How could anyone even think about dancing in those things?" she rubbed the sides of her feet.

"I'll give you a foot massage later if you like..." offered Liara, followed by 'the look'.

"Does that mean you forgive me then?" Sam asked hopefully.

"How could I not?! You put yourself through such discomfort and exposed your self perceived 'weakness' just to prove you mean your apology to me" Liara kissed Sam, and took her hand.

"That's not all she's gonna be exposing if she's not careful!" Ashley once again managed to take out all the sentiment in one sentence.

Liara ignored the Chief's words and continued, "I love you, Samantha Shepard, and I apologise for my overreaction. Ashley pointed out that, since you are not asari, you may not have been able to make as much sense out of the things you see and experience during the joining as an asari can. She also said you may need more practice."

"Did she now...?" Sam winked at a blushing Ashley.

"You can thank me later, Skipper" smiled Ash. "Oh, just stop talking, Ash..." she muttered to herself and rested her head on the table.

"Dunno... I might be busy 'practicing'!" laughed Shepard.

Shepard took Liara's hand and led her off to the dance floor.

...

Ashley and Tali returned to their table after dancing for a while. Shepard and Liara remained on the dance floor. They seemed to have limitless energy and their eyes were locked on one another in an intense unbreakable gaze.

An exhausted Ashley slumped down and rested her chin on her fist. The Chief watched the couple together and sighed. She was happy for them. Happy they had found love in each other. It had to be love, to have such a ridiculous argument, and boy, the Skipper must  _really_  love Liara to put on a dress. Ash's heart was warmed at the sight of them dancing, but there was a big part of her that was somewhat envious; she wanted something like that herself. She sighed again.

"What's the matter Chief?" said Tali as she put her hand on Ashley's forearm.

Ashley smiled "Look at them... they're so... perfect"

"So why are you sighing like it's the end of the galaxy... again?" Tali had a point. "You've looked miserable all evening, what's wrong?"

"I don't know. I guess, I just want something like that for myself, that's all" Ashley ran her finger round the rim of a glass.

"Oh. I see. Got anyone particular in mind?" enquired the young engineer

Ashley held her head in her hands "No. I mean... maybe. I don't know. I ... I like to spend time with ... but no that's stupid. He's a total..."

"Ass...?" Interrupted Tali

"What?" Ashley looked shocked as she raised her head from her hands

"Rumours start and spread very quickly amongst bored crew members, Chief – you know that. After the Commander's love for Liara was made public, well, that took the all the fun out of that one – so a new rumour started circulating... about you and Joker... becoming 'friendly'. Even I heard about it and I virtually live in the gossip vacuum we call the engine room!" Tali informed the now stunned Ashley

"But, when? Why? I haven't..."

"Oh come on, you are always up there talking to him when you are 'bored'. It must be that you are attracted to him because you always go to him." Ashley wished Tali would stop making such good points, but she was right. Whenever she was bored, the Chief would go to Joker. Whenever she was feeling down; even after Virmire, she went and talked to Joker.

"But I... I just enjoy his company... he's not actually that much of an ass once you get to know him a little better. It doesn't mean anything..." Ashley tried to play it down but she wasn't going to fool the astute engineer.

"Oh, no... of course it doesn't. He's just the guy you always turn to, whether you're bored, lonely, upset, even grieving. Of course that means nothing at all." Tali said sarcastically. "Open your eyes Chief. If you do feel something, give it a go..." At that Tali got up and went to dance with the others, leaving Ashley in a state of confusion and bewilderment.

"But that would be fraternisation...!" Ashley tried to find an excuse to shout after the quarian

...

Tali said "Erm, Sam – I think Ashley needs a good talking to..."

"Why? What's wrong? Is she ok?" Shepard was worried, and kissed Liara before heading over to the bar to get the Chief a drink. Tali and Liara headed to the bar shortly afterwards.

Shepard ordered two large red drinks named "Sovereign Slammers" which were apparently inspired by the Spectre's victorious battle in the tower. She wasn't quite sure of the relevance, but she couldn't be bothered to get stuck in a conversation with Doran about it. She took the drinks to the table and sat next to Ashley.

"You ok?" Shepard asked as she slid the drink in front of the distant Chief.

"Huh? Yeah. You two seem happy again." Ash smiled weakly.

"Yeah"

"Good"

"Yeah" Shepard squirmed uncomfortably in the dress. "So, Tali said you needed to talk...?"

"What? No, I'm fine. Just... You know…?"

"Nope, no idea what you're talkin' about, Ash... As usual."

"It's nothing, I'll sort it. Don't worry" Williams took a big sip of her slammer.

"Sure there's nothing I can help with? I even managed to give Joker some sound advice earlier!"

"Joker?" Ash nearly spilled her drink.

"Ooh, did that hit a soft spot, Chief?" Sam winked at Ashley

"I've no idea  _what_ you'retalking about, Sam" the Chief had turned almost the same colour as her drink.

"Mmmm Hmmm..." Sam frowned at her friend.

...

Tali and Liara perched upon two stools side by side at the bar and chatted about the events of the evening so far.

"I cannot believe the Commander did that..." laughed Tali.

"I know. She is wonderful, and she does look amazing in that dress. Maybe I'll give it a go later... Mind you, I don't imagine it would stay on long." Liara stared at her lover as she spoke to Ashley.

"Too much information!" Tali joked.

A strange man came up and squeezed directly between the conversing pair with his back to Tali. "Hey sweetheart, can I buy you a drink?" He slurred at Liara.

"No thank you. Please excuse me. I was talking with my friend..." Liara said politely.

"So talk to me instead... you don't wanna talk to her kind anyway"

Tali tapped the man on the shoulder causing him to turn around "Excuse me but, amongst my people, it is considered very rude to interrupt someone's conversation with another"

"Yeah? Well amongst  _my_  people, you're just a Geth with a heart beat!" The man was now almost shouting.

"I think you should apologise right now, Sir." Liara spoke firmly.

"Yeah? And I think  _you_  should go back to Choras' Den where your type belongs!" He retaliated and turned back to the quarian.

He was just about to speak again when he felt another tap on his shoulder. As he turned, a fuming Liara punched him full in the face! He instantly fell to the floor with a thud.

"What the hell? You crazy whore!" the man held his bleeding nose and tried to stand up.

"I suggest you apologise to my friend this instant!" Liara was now glowing blue.

"Go to hell, you crazy... whaaaaaa!" The rude man found himself elevated 10 feet off the ground by Liara's biotic lift.

...

The two officers sat sipping at their drinks in silence. Ash was desperately avoiding eye contact with Sam and was relieved to notice the commotion coming from the bar..

Shepard rose to her feet and was just about to run over when Ashley grabbed her by the arm and made her sit back down "Wait... Liara's got it covered. She needs to release a bit of anger anyway"

Sam sat watching in stunned amazement as the Asari used her biotics with such finesse. She was itching to run to her rescue, but Ash was right, she didn't need it...

...

"Apologise, you pathetic excuse for a sentient being!" Liara was now shouting at him

She dropped him so that his face almost touched the floor and raised him again.

"I said APOLOGISE!" Liara shouted once more.

"Ok, ok – I'm sorry... Just let me down" the man was almost crying.

"That's better, now I suggest you leave before Commander Shepard finds out what just happened" Liara warned.

Sam appeared behind her. "Is something the matter, my love? Is this man bothering you?"

"I believe he was just leaving" Tali sounded fairly fierce herself.

"Yes, Uh, sorry Commander Shepard..." the man, although clearly not of the military, saluted and scuttled off almost knocking over Joker who had witnessed the whole thing from the door way.

"It's people like you that give humanity a bad name!" Sam shouted after him.

She turned straight around to face Liara. "Are you ok? What happened?"

...

Joker hobbled over to Ashley who was giggling at the scene from her seat at the table.

"Hey, did I just step into an alternate reality or something? I could have sworn I just saw Liara in a bar fight and the Commander in a dress?!" Joker lowered himself down and rested his crutches against the table.

"Well, if it's all so topsy-turvy, how about this?" Ashley leaned over, removed Joker's baseball cap and kissed him softly. His stubble tickled her as their lips pressed together.

"Ok, where ever we are now, I wanna stay. I hope I never ever have to go back to where I came from!" he leaned in for the second kiss, but Ashley pulled away.

"No way, Mister. That was just a taster. If you want more, you've gotta pick me up at 2000 tomorrow from my apartment, OK?"

"Did you just ask me out?" Joker was utterly perplexed.

"Yes. Yes, I did and do me a favour... Have a shave!" Ashley smiled and stroked his cheek.

"Don't try to change me, babe!" he laughed.

Ashley stood, then looked a little sheepish. "Well, I  _was_  just going to dance. I'd ask you to join me, but..."

"Crack, Crack... yup – no worries. I think I just need to sit here and marvel at this new world I just walked into!" Joker was wearing his wonky grin as he watched Ash walk towards the others.

...

"He crossed the line. I got angry. Let's just leave it at that. Oh, and my hand hurts" Liara held it up for Sam to inspect.

Shepard took the blue swollen hand into hers, raised it to her lips and kissed it gently. "I can't believe you punched him!"

"You've been spending too long around Sam" Tali said still laughing.

"Yeah... This is a weird night..." She glanced over in Ash's direction "...and now Ash is kissing joker...? What the hell's going on in this place!?"

Shepard stared at Ashley as she walked over.

"Was that fraternisation I just saw, Williams?" Shepard said, then smiled softly and hugged her best friend. "About time! He was pining over you earlier, I bet you just made his day!"

"Yeah... I've got a date with him tomorrow too" Ashley smiled back at the bewildered pilot, sat there blinking hard, as if to check he wasn't dreaming. "C'mon, I need to dance"

"Oh, this should be good..." laughed the Spectre as she was dragged towards the dance floor.


	6. The morning after shore leave

**The morning after Shore Leave**

It was gone 0330 when the four women fell out of the CRT.

"Well, that was quite an eventful Girls Night Out..." Sam slurred her words. Those Sovereign Slammers had been slightly stronger than she'd realised and she'd lost count how many she and Ashley had consumed during the course of the evening.

"Owww... My head hurts already... I'm never gonna be able to get up in the morning..." Ashley was leaning on Tali who was slowly guiding the Chief towards their apartment door.

"Well, as long as you're awake by 1900, you should be fine, Chief" said Liara, taking over from the Quarian who was struggling to open the door whilst supporting Ashley's weight as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

"What...? Why...? What's... happening... at..." Ashley fell asleep before the end of her sentence.

"I think we might just have to give her a wake up call tomorrow afternoon" Shepard said as she opened the door to the apartment she shared with Liara.

"Thanks Liara, I've got her from here. I'll see she isn't late for her date, don't worry. Thanks for a great, and... erm... interesting evening, Commander" Tali took Ashley's arm, wrapped it round her neck and carried her to her room.

Shepard held out her hand to her Asari sweetheart. "Come on, my love. Bedtime"

Liara looked at Samantha. There was longing in her eyes, but there was also exhaustion, although she desperately tried to mask it.

"Don't worry... I meant to sleep..." Sam smiled as the Asari yawned. "Looks like you need it"

"It has been quite some time since either of us slept... Are you not tired?" Liara asked the Spectre.

"Tired? I'm exhausted!" Sam led Liara to the bedroom. The scent of the Thessian flowers was still intoxicating.

"You looked beautiful tonight, Sam" Liara pulled Shepard towards her and gently kissed her pink lips.

"I did not..! I looked and felt... weird!" She laughed, then her voice changed and sounded very serious as she stared intensely into Liara's eyes. "I'm really sorry for what happened earlier. It'll never happen again. I promise..." Sam wrapped her arms around Liara's shoulders in a tight embrace "Oh, and by the way... I was really proud of the way you handled that guy at the bar. I sometimes forget just how powerful you are..."

"Well just you bare this in mind then... I could keep  _you_  in check with nothing more than a flick of my wrist, young lady!" Liara teased.

Sam stepped back and held Liara at arm's length and raised one eyebrow. "Hmmm... I don't know if I should treat that as a challenge or a sly attempt to seduce me." She smiled as the Asari used her biotic skill to gently close the door. "Either way, I might just have to test that theory."

"I think we have both been presented with enough lessons for one day" Liara stepped forward and pressed her lips to Sam's forehead.

Sam closed her tired eyes as she felt the soothing sensation of Liara's breath on her skin. "Yeah, you're probably right... besides I don't think I've even got the energy to get out of this damned dress now..." Sam threw the shoes she'd been carrying, into the corner of the room.

"Please... Allow me." Liara turned the tired Spectre round to begin undressing her. She slowly ran her hands across the exposed skin on her back and started to undo some of the well positioned straps.

"Oh, Li... We both know where this is gonna lead... You know I can't resist you..." Shepard sounded almost whiney. She would, of course, like nothing more than to make love to Liara all night long, but she was just so very tired.

"Shhhh... I know... Shhhh, do not worry so much." Liara laid the tired and now naked Spectre back on the bed. "I think we both need sleep more than  _anything_  else..."

" _Need_  and  _want_  are fighting in my head at the moment... but I think  _need_  has currently got  _want_  in a headlock." Sam was so close to dozing off, she could barely draw the strength to roll over onto her right side.

"Hush, my love... Let sleep envelope you." Liara cooed as she undressed and got in bed behind Sam. She snuggled up behind her pulling the covers up over them both and wrapped her left arm around Shepard's toned stomach.

"Aahhhh... That feels nice" Sam snuggled back towards her lover's warmth. "...Liara?"

"Yes, Samantha?"

"I love you... You do know that, right?" Sam was barely awake now and her words drifted as she spoke.

Liara smiled and gently squeezed Sam. "Yes... I know you do. I love you too."

The two, who because of love, arguments, fighting and dancing had resisted for so many hours, were finally claimed by a long deep sleep.

...

Tali struggled to Ashley's room and dropped the Chief onto her bed. She never even stirred on impact.

"Ashley...? Ashley?" Tali tried unsuccessfully to wake the Chief. A mix of alcohol, physical exhaustion from bad dancing, and general lack of sleep had taken Ash to the realms of comatose.

"Fine... I shall just take your boots off and you can sleep in your clothes, ok?" Tali tried to drag Ash up the bed as gently as possible so that she could lay her head down onto her pillow. "Don't know why I'm still talking to you... Not like you can hear me..." Tali muttered as she removed the boots and tucked in the passed out soldier.

"Goodnight, Ashley" Tali whispered as she left the room.

She walked to her own room and sat on the bed. She read Sam's note again. She had never before felt so accepted anywhere other than on the flotilla. She didn't even think it was possible for a Quarian to be welcomed into a crew anywhere else. In most situations, her kind were not easily trusted by other races because of the mistakes they made with the Geth over two centuries ago. However, the Normandy's crew were different... They were not just her crewmates. She had built up relationships with almost all of them. Adams had taken her under his wing and the rest of his engineering crew had welcomed her and her skills into their team. She had also come to like the company of Garrus on missions, and even Wrex when he was in one of his more talkative moods.

Now she was 'one of the girls' too, as Ashley had referred to her earlier when trying persuade Tali to dance. But it felt like the 4 girls were closer than friends now... More like family. They looked after and even fought for one another, helped fix each other's problems, even assisted with finding potential love interests. It was a strange feeling she had. After all, technically her pilgrimage was complete... yet she didn't want to return to her people. She was happy... And very, very tired she suddenly realised.

The Quarian laid back on the bed. She rolled over a few times trying to get comfy.  _No way! It's the pod for me!_  She thought as she stood and climbed into the pod. She set the wake up time for 1300 and closed the door. She was asleep within seconds.

...

Sometime in the late hours of the morning, Shepard stirred from her slumber. She felt the warmth of Liara's body still snuggled up to her back. The intertwined lovers had barely moved all night.

Sam knew Liara was still sleeping by the slow steadiness of her breathing. She shivered involuntarily when she felt the air leaving Liara's mouth gently tickle the hair on the back of her neck. Liara stirred, murmured slightly and tightened her firm grip around the Spectre's body. It felt like Liara's embrace was consuming her. In a weird way, Shepard liked it. It was rare for her to feel like she was... protected by another. She squeezed the blue arm as it tightened around her.

"Good morning" Liara whispered.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you" Shepard rolled over as the Asari loosened her embrace.

Sam's head pounded at the slight movement. She groaned and held her throbbing head in her hands.

"What is wrong?" Liara sat up quickly, looking concerned.

"Feels like a Prothean beacon just downloaded it's contents into my brain, then exploded!" She couldn't help but smile at the concerned yet confused expression on Liara's face.

Sam tried to lift her head from the pillow but failed. "Argh... Mother of all hangovers." She covered her head with the sheets. "What the hell was in those slammers?"

Liara began to massage Sam's temples and gently kissed her forehead

"Oh... that's good... You know, I reckon you've got healing powers in those lips of yours..." Sam smiled, grabbed Liara's cheeks and pulled the blue lips level with her own. "You probably should never stop kissing me. Who knows what might happen."

"Well, I  _am_  a Doctor..." Liara smiled and kissed Sam softly. "...and I have an idea... Allow me to enter your mind... Maybe I can assist better from the inside..."

"Ok... If you're sure..." Sam opened her eyes to make contact with Liara's. "You're not gonna like it in here though."

"Do not worry..." Liara whispered before her eyes turned pitch black as she said the words "embrace eternity!"

Liara was inside Sam's mind for mere moments. "By the Goddess! It's... it's horrendous in there!" A look of shock turned to one of sympathy as she gently kissed the Commander and went back to rubbing her temples.

"I said you wouldn't like it!" Sam laughed then winced. "…Oh, don't make me laugh. It feels like my brain is three sizes too big for my head. Oh and I think Ash had more than I did, so she'll be in a worse state than me!" She rolled onto her front and buried her head in her pillow. "I should probably just sleep it off..."

Liara was most confused "...but why? Why would anyone do this to themselves... Voluntarily... and so regularly? It's agonising in there... Maybe this will help..." She sat up and straddled Shepard's waist in order to give her a full body massage, including the foot massage she had promised the night before.

"Oh yeah, that's... amazing... oh that's good..." Sam's muffled voice could just be heard through the pillow. "Ahhh... Keep going... You're almost as good as Nel..." She thought better of what she was about to say and allowed her words to trail off into indecipherable groans

A couple of minutes later, Liara realised Sam had fallen asleep again, so she stood up and quietly got dressed, leaving her lover to 'sleep it off'.

She noticed the time was gone 1300 and wondered if Ashley was in a similar state next door. She decided to pay them a visit.

...

Tali was awoken by the pod at precisely 1300. She stretched as she stepped out and went over to the desk. She had dreamt of an idea for improving the steering of the MAKO that just might work, but she needed to ask Garrus something to be sure. She sat in front of the terminal and sent the Turian a message. She sat for a moment wondering whether to contact her father back on the flotilla.  _No, I am not ready yet... I still have too much to do_.

"Best go see how the Chief is doing." She said to herself and headed to the Kitchen to get some coffee for Ashley.

She knocked gently on Ashley's door and entered. To her surprise, the Chief's bed was made and she was nowhere to be seen.

She turned and left the room quickly "Ashley?"

"Out here, Tali. Come join me!" Ashley's voice was coming from the balcony

She went into the lounge and looked out of the large double doors.

"There you are. I wasn't expecting you to be up for hours" Tali handed Ashley the coffee. "Here, I thought you might need some of this."

"Thanks, Tali. Best roomie ever" Ash smiled. "Thanks for looking after me last night... Sorry if I was any trouble."

"Not at all, you fell asleep before we even got inside. Your boots were more troublesome than you were. Besides, that's what friends are for, right?" Tali sat in the chair next to Ashley.

"Right." She raised her coffee and smiled. "Just look at this place... It's fantastic!" Ashley smiled as she observed the Citadel. It's CRTs were manically whizzing about their daily business, speedily ferrying the station's occupants from point A to point B.

"It is indeed." Tali relaxed into her seat.

Just then, the door's chime sounded.

"Ugh... I just got comfy." Tali moaned as she leaned forward to get up.

Ashley put her hand on the Quarian's shoulder "Stay where you are, I'll get it."

Ashley wandered over and opened the door to a concerned looking Liara. "Oh, Ashley... I wasn't expecting to see you up..." her expression changed to surprise.

"Yeah, been up sitting on the balcony for an hour or so. It's so beautiful. Can't believe Sam bought us this place." Ashley looked over Liara's shoulder. "Where is she anyway?"

"It appears you are in a better state than she is." Liara smiled and entered the apartment.

"Ha, lightweight... See I told you I could hold my drink better than she could!" Ashley said proudly.

"It seems so, Chief... I entered her mind briefly to try to help." Liara shook her head. "I shan't be doing that again when she's got a hangover. It was truly... awful!"

"She's best off just sleeping" Ashley gestured to the balcony. "Tali's out there. Go take a seat and I'll bring you some tea"

Liara nodded. "Thank you, Ashley. That would be lovely"

Liara joined Tali "Good...er...day, Liara" the Quarian said "Have a seat. It is most peaceful out here."

"The view is lovely..." Liara soaked it up. "I think I can just see the nebula..."

"Don't you have a balcony in your apartment?" Tali asked

"Er... I... I don't know..." Liara stuttered.

Ashley emerged with Liara's tea and leaned on the railings "She wouldn't know... I bet she's only seen the bedroom so far..." she teased.

"Ah... I see" Tali joined in. "Yet to explore the rest..."

"Well... Yes... We were a little distracted yesterday." Liara was blushing. "To be fair, I have seen the guest bedroom too"

"Don't wanna know..." Ashley laughed, shaking her head.

"No, we didn't... you know... I mean... I ran in there when we argued." Liara's cheeks were now lilac.

"Oh, right - so you all sorted then now?" Ashley asked, feeling a little bad for teasing.

"Yes, I believe so." the Asari nodded.

"Good. I think we were all quite worried for a while there." said Tali.

"So what gifts did she get you two?" Liara asked, trying to change the subject a little, while at the same time feeling grateful that they cared enough to have been worried.

They talked for an hour or so about their gifts and about their evening. Tali and Liara started teasing Ashley about kissing Joker. When they wouldn't stop and continued to talk about her upcoming date, she said "Right, that's it... I'm going check on the skipper. Liara, can I borrow your keycard please?"

"Of course, Ashley" Liara smiled. "I never would have believed you were one to run from any situation."

"Usually I wouldn't but I know when I don't stand a chance!" She shouted over her shoulder as she left. The two she left behind were now giggling loudly.

Ash entered Sam's apartment. It was much the same as hers, and did have a balcony, she noted.

She gently knocked on the bedroom door. She entered to find the bed unmade, but no Sam. She then heard a voice from the bathroom. "I'm in the shower, love. Get that fine blue ass of yours in here!"

"Whilst my ass may be fine, Skipper, it isn't blue!" Ashley shouted from the doorway.

"Oh, Ash... Sorry, I didn't expect you... I thought you were Liara"

"Clearly! I can't think of any other blue backsides you'd be wanting to share your shower with!" Laughed Ashley. "You nearly done in there or should I go get Liara for you?"

"No, its ok... I'll be out in a minute. Go take a seat"

Shepard appeared from the bathroom wrapped in one towel and rubbing her hair with another. "That feels better... How are you this... Er... afternoon?"

"Better than you, I hear. Liara told us she tried to enter your hung-over mind..."

"Yeah... Don't think she'll be doing that again." Sam chuckled, but had to stop. Her head was still aching. "Doesn't your head hurt?"

"It did earlier, but its not so bad now." Ash grinned triumphantly from her seat on the sofa.

"I'm just gonna go get dressed... Maybe find something for the pain…" Wincing as she dried her hair.

"Lightweight!" Ash shouted after Shepard.

"Not so loud, Ash..." Sam grimaced and disappeared into her room.  _Hmmm… I wonder if medi-gel works on hangovers._

Shepard emerged a couple of minutes later looking more refreshed. "Right then... T minus 5 hours 24 minutes..."

"What?" Ash frowned.

"Your date... with a certain 'Joker'... Or should we call him Jeff now?" Sam was grinning.

"Oh hell... I just left those two next door for picking on me about this." Ash held her head in her hands.

"Oh come on now. What good is it having a date if you won't let your friends tease you about it?" Sam's grin grew even wider as she watched Ashley squirm in her seat.

"Ok, fine... But I'm hungry. Lets get Tali and Liara round and I'll whip us up some brunch." Ash headed for the kitchen.

"Ok, I'll call 'em" Shepard said.

Five minutes later Shepard was sat at the table with Liara and Tali. They could hear expletives coming from the kitchen.

"Is everything ok, Ashley?" The asari had never heard such language before.

"I'm fine, I'll be with you shortly..."

"I don't even know if she can cook... She might kill us all" Shepard shook her head. "Well, I suppose you're safe Tali... If I die of food-poisoning, you're in charge"

Tali whipped off a slightly sarcastic salute. "Yes commander!"

Ashley glared at Sam as she walked up to the table carrying a tray with three plates and a food pack. She set them down in front of each of her brunch guests.

"Wow, this looks... delicious!" Sam was starving and tucked into the omelet straight away.

"You don't have to sound so surprised... I helped raise my sisters remember." Ashley folded her arms after she set her own plate down and gave Tali her pack.

"I'm fine actually, Chief. I won't need to eat for a couple of days thanks." Tali said.

"Oh yeah, sorry..." Ashley took the pack back to the kitchen before she took her seat. "How are they Sam?"

"Fantastic! I'm sorry I ever doubted your culinary skills, Mrs Moreau!" Sam was half way through the meal already.

"Don't start, Skipper!" Ash shouted. "Liara, you ok?" The chief wandered back in, sat down and started eating.

"It is very tasty. Thank you" Liara nodded. She was eating at a slower pace to Sam, who had just finished and was now slumped back, contentedly rubbing her full belly.

"That was great, Ash. Thanks" Sam smiled, then realised she was the first to finish by a long way.

"Guess you were hungry then" Ash laughed when she saw Sam scan the other's plates.

"Hmmm... So, back to Joker..." Sam leaned forwards "First kiss... Any good?"

Ash rolled her eyes "This is gonna be a long afternoon..."

They continued the girl talk relentlessly. Ash had spent much of the afternoon blushing or holding her head in her hands. Eventually she said. "Ok, ok... I can't take any more. I'm going to have a long soak in the bath and get ready." She stood up and headed to the door of Sam and Liara's apartment.

"I should be going too... I need to meet Garrus in the markets. I have an idea for improving the MAKO" Tali said. "If I don't see you before, good luck Ashley"

"Thanks. See you later!" Ashley said, waving behind her as she left the apartment.

"Tali, you remember what we discussed about being 'off duty'? Well that means you shouldn't be thinking of ways to improve the MAKO either" Sam said, knowing her words were falling on deaf ears.

"Then just think of it as two friends meeting for a shopping trip..." Tali tried to sound convincing.

"Fine... It's pointless arguing with you… I know you're gonna do it anyway." Sam gave in. "Actually, speaking of Garrus, I should really get the boys something too..."

Liara smiled at the deepening furrow in Sam's brow. She reached over and rubbed it with her thumb "You worry too much..."

"Yeah, well it comes with the job... Besides you try thinking what to buy a Krogan and see if you don't frown..."

Liara did. "I see your point..."

"Ok, Tali, while you're shopping with Garrus, buy him a HMWSR X on me... ooh and a new one of those eye-patch visor thingies he likes" Sam waved her hands around as she spoke.

"Now... Wrex..." Shepard's brow furrowed again making Liara smile.

"Why not get him a new shotgun?" Tali suggested.

"Yeah... Ok. Can you pick one of those up too please? And some top of the range upgrades for it" Sam stood. There were a couple of other bits she wanted to get for people, but she'd pick them up herself. "Thanks, Tali."

"No problem, Commander. Should I give Garrus his new equipment or should I bring it back to you?" Tali enquired.

"Let him have them. Actually, let him choose them… Then he can start practicing his sniper skills." Sam smiled and walked into the bombsite of a kitchen that Ashley had left. "Damn it... I'm gonna kill her!"

"I'll leave you two to your domestic bliss..." Tali said to Liara as she headed for the door.

Liara considered sneaking out too, but instead joined her partner in the kitchen. "It's not so bad... I'll wash, you wipe"

"Ohhh. I hate wiping..." Shepard sulked "...can't I wash?"

"No, your fingers will go all strange again" Liara handed Shepard a tea-towel.

"You'd think somewhere like this would come with a dishwasher..." Shepard grumbled as she took the towel. "Can't we just smash the dirty ones and get new?"

"Um… No." Liara fixed Sam with a disapproving look.

A few minutes passed as they set about washing up. "If Ashley is having a bath, will she go all wrinkly too?" Liara broke the comfortable silence.

"Probably..." Sam answered.

"But... will she return to normal before her date?" Liara sounded concerned.

"Probably..." Sam smiled and wrapped her arms round Liara's waist and gently squeezed. "...and you say I worry too much!" She turned the Asari round and kissed the start of each of her crest's ridges.

"You'll do anything to get out of the washing up, won't you?" Liara sighed

"ANYTHING!" Sam said and lifted her lover onto the kitchen work surface. Liara wrapped her legs around the Spectre's waist as her hands left damp trails all over Sam's back as they kissed.

"That sounds like an offer I couldn't possibly refuse!" Liara jumped down, splashed Sam with water from the bowl.

A soggy Shepard shouted "Oooh, I'm so gonna get you for that!"

"Promises, promises!" Liara replied as she ran giggling into the bedroom closely pursued by Sam.


	7. The big date

**The big date**

Tali left the Shepard/T'Soni apartment and headed straight to the Marketplace to meet Garrus.

As she got into the transport, she hoped he had received her message about meeting her there... If not she'd be shopping alone.

She sat thinking as the transport sped towards the upper markets. Tali knew her idea was a sound and practical one, but she lacked the confidence to just go ahead and do it. Besides, Garrus had always made it clear that the MAKO was his business. She wouldn't expect him to just wander into engineering and start tampering with the drive core, so she wouldn't do the equivalent to him.

When she arrived, she could see the turian standing with his back to the wall at the top of a large staircase. He waved her over.

"Hi Tali, I got your message." He said as she joined him at the top of the stairs leading to the lower markets.

"Good day, Garrus. Thank you for meeting with me at such short notice" The quarian nodded.

"No problem. It's not like I was achieving much anyway. C-Sec are being a real pain, as usual. Too much red tape. They say they want me back, and then they think they can make  _me_  jump through hoops... Damned bureaucrats." He snarled.

"Oh, I didn't realize you planned to leave the Normandy." Tali's concern was obvious.

"Oh no, I don't want to. I always hated working for C-Sec but I don't know what else I can do... I just figured I'd probably have to return to 'normal life' at some point." Garrus explained. "Believe me, I'd like nothing better than to stay aboard the Normandy, but I don't know what Shepard's plans are. So I'm just keeping my options open and trying to take advantage of my association with the 'Savior of the Citadel'."

"I find myself in a similar predicament... Technically my pilgrimage is over, but I find I do not wish to leave the Normandy or her crew." Sighed Tali.

Garrus flared his mandibles nervously. "I guess the only thing we can do is wait and see what the Commander's next move is... and whether she still needs us." A moment passed where they both stood silently, contemplating their futures. Neither could imagine a life without the Normandy or Commander Shepard in it.

"Right. Come on, back to business. I need your opinion on an idea before we shop for parts." Tali said leaning towards her turian friend.

"Ok... Why don't we find a seat somewhere a little less busy or noisy?" Garrus gestured towards CRT.

The quarian agreed. "Good idea. The presidium would probably be quietest."

Garrus started walking, but Tali grabbed his arm. "Oh, wait... I almost forgot; Shepard wants to give you a gift, but she thought it would be best if you chose it yourself. We need to call in on the C-Sec requisitions office on the way"

"Oh... Ok..." Garrus looked slightly confused. "What do you mean 'gift'...?"

"You know... To say thank you." Tali said as she pushed him into the transport. "Kee Lah! Always so many questions!"

When they arrived at C-sec they headed straight down the stairs to the requisition office.

Tali spoke to the turian officer based there. "Hello... Erm... Commander Shepard, the human Spectre, sent us. We are to charge our purchases to her account."

"Yes that's fine. The Spectre contacted me and said you were coming, Tali'Zorah." The turian officer nodded. "She also said I should let you browse the Spectre Class stock items"

"Oh... Thank you" Tali nodded and turned to Garrus.

"Shepard wanted to get you a top of the range sniper rifle and a new one of those 'eye-patch thingies', as she put it." Tali pointed at the visor over Garrus' left eye.

"Oh... Excellent! I had intended to hone my sniper skills a little more... It'll be nice to have new gear to practice with!" Garrus wore the turian equivalent of a grin as he merrily started lining up targets through the scope of every rifle he picked up.

"We need to get a fully upgraded shotgun for Wrex too." Tali said and started comparing the properties of several different short range weapons.

The two were there for quite a while, weighing up the pros and cons of some of the best weaponry available, before eventually making their decisions.

As they walked back up the stairs, Tali noted that Garrus was looking exceptionally pleased with his choices... especially his new visor. She giggled to herself as she watched him repeatedly close his right eye and squint his left as he practiced zeroing in on distant objects using his new equipment. She was certain that Wrex would like his gift too.

"Ok, lets go find a seat overlooking the lake." Tali suggested.

They eventually found a vacant bench near the Consort's Chambers.

"So, what was your idea?" asked Garrus

"Ok. Would you agree that the biggest problem with the MAKO is maneuverability?" Tali paused until Garrus nodded. "Well, I think we could fix that by replacing the wheels with multi-directional propulsion jets"

"Wait... That would work fine on a planet with low gravity, but the problem is the weight of the MAKO." Garrus explained. "The jets would have to be exceptionally powerful and more to the point, durable, to be able to sustain a lift from the ground for anything more than short bursts of a few seconds, never mind them being able to accurately steer with them. You would only be able to 'leap' around. And also because there are no wheels, you could end up being stranded if the jets stopped working..."

"Ah, yes... I have thought of this and I think we have two options. Number one - we leave four of the wheels on so that forward and backward movement remains the same, and we just replace the middle set of wheels with pivoting propulsion jets to make steering easier..." Tali explained.

"Or?" asked the Turian

"...Number two - we counter the weight of the MAKO by installing a tiny mass effect core in it..."

"That's... That's Brilliant!" Garrus looked shocked. "But surely it would be far too expensive to make... Even to research..."

"Yes. The cost is a fairly major draw-back. But, I have already been researching the theory behind mass effect cores in my spare time, and after a flash of inspiration last night, I'm sure I can apply it to this." Tali elaborated. "I know I haven't conducted any practical research, however I believe it should be easy enough to offset the MAKO's weight by using a very small quantity of eezo and passing a negative charge through, much like the way the Tantalus drive core works on the Normandy."

"But even small quantities of element zero are rare and therefore very expensive." Garrus shook his head.

Tali leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and sighed. "I know... We don't have the resources for a project like that." She sighed. "I just wanted to find out if you thought it was worth even suggesting."

"Oh, definitely, yes. It is an absolutely brilliant idea, and it would, theoretically, work perfectly... Plus it'd make the ride a hell of a lot less bumpy!" Garrus laughed and put a reassuring hand on the quarian's back. "Where did you even come up with the idea?"

"Would you believe I dreamt it last night? Clearly my work never leaves my mind... Not even in sleep!" Tali laughed. "So... We're left with option number one then?"

"Unfortunately, it's going to have to be. For now at least. Plus, getting the parts for that will be much easier and cheaper than buying the element zero... No matter how miniature the core is!"

"You're right... It was a silly idea" she shook her head.

"No... no, it wasn't. I really think you should tell Shepard... Maybe the Alliance could use the idea for a new type of MAKO. Or perhaps the Council would fund some practical research." Garrus suggested.

"Hmm... Yes... Maybe her connections could secure a budget for  _someone_ to research it. I will send her a report about it at some point." Tali stood up from the bench. "But, we need to focus on what we can  _actually_  do now. So, what do we need for our new jets?"

Garrus stood too, and they headed back off towards the markets to gather the supplies they needed to make the MAKO's upgrades. All the way, discussing their requirements in great technical detail. It was the cheaper option by far but no doubt Shepard would still live to regret giving Tali free rein over her account for the day...

...

Joker sat staring out over the citadel from the window in his small hotel room. On the desk next to him was a scale model of the Destiny Ascension, which he'd bought that day from a gift shop and spent much of the afternoon constructing.

He took in a deep breath and checked the time... Again...

1759... Two minutes after the last time he looked. One hour to go.

He glanced around the small room which contained a bed, a desk and a small holo-vid display. It wasn't much, but it was the best he could afford. At least it had its own en-suite bathroom.

He couldn't think what else to do to kill time, so he tried to iron the creases out of his Formal Navy jacket by rubbing his hands together then simply smoothing out the offending areas. Surprisingly enough, it worked. Not well, but it would have to do. He laid the 'pressed' jacket on the bottom of the unmade bed, to be collected on his way out.

He then carefully limped towards the bathroom. There was something he wanted to do before he headed to Ashley's apartment.

...

Ashley's long soak in the bath continued until the water was only just above body temperature and all the bubbles had gone. It had been well over an hour that she'd been lying there in a daze, mulling things over in her head.

 _I can't believe it. My first date for years, and it's with Joker._ She rested her head on the rim of the bath and stared at the ceiling.

_I suppose I have spent a lot with the guy recently, and I guess I have come to like his company, but still... is this just crazy or what? I mean, especially since most of the time he's nothing but a cocky, sarcastic, arrogant,self opinionated, egotistical... OH, GOD HELP ME!... What am I thinking?_

The chief sat up and shook her head vigorously. She then held her nose and squeezed her eyes shut as she submerged her head under the water one last time before pulling the plug. She drifted into her thoughts again as she watched the water drain away.

_There issomething about him though. I do really like being around him. It's sort of comforting. And he makes me laugh... sometimes. Oh god, what time is it? I should have been out of this bath twenty minutes ago!_

It was coming up to 1900, and she was now starting to feel a little nervous. Her stomach was churning and her heart was beating unusually fast for her.

_Oh no you don't. No way. You're not going to start getting all girly and nervous over Joker!_

She stepped out of the bath, grabbed a towel and walked over to the sink.

She gave herself a long hard stare in the mirror as she leaned on the polished white surface. She frowned when she saw a hint of fear in her reflection's eyes.

_For crying out loud... it's only a date! Besides, what are you expecting? Joker's not really boyfriend material. He'd barely even make friend material if you look at it._

"Snap out of it, Ash - just give the guy a chance before deciding what kind of 'material' he is..." She took a very firm tone with her own reflection. "You've faced impossible odds in the past. This is no different. Except hopefully this situation won't require a gun. Now, straighten up, Soldier!"

The Chief put on some music to occupy her wandering mind - she set the sound system to 'human music,' which presented her with a selection of genres. After some deliberation, she decided upon playlist called 'Rock Legends' and before long was dancing around the apartment in her undies, singing away to herself.

As she wandered the apartment, she realised there were now garments and towels strewn all around the bathroom, bedroom and living room. She started to tidy up, but was suddenly distracted when one of her favorite ever songs started playing. She couldn't resist. It called to her. It simply had to be done. She ran and jumped onto the messed up bed in her room, took the proper stance and performed what could only be described as an excellent air-guitar solo.

"Ahhhh, you can't beat the classics." She said with a smile as she dismounted the bed after the song was over. She checked the time again and realized she really must stop messing around and get on.

 _Right. What to wear?_  She thought. It was a fairly easy decision since she only had four outfits to choose from...

"Best Mess Dress? Nope."

"Casual Navy Slacks? Definitely not."

"Colossus armor? Just no."

"Formal Navy Uniform it is then. Not too much, not too casual, and not too... scarily invincible!"

She flung the Jacket on the bed and continued dancing round the room. She grabbed her trousers and began putting them on whilst trying to keep moving in time with the music. It started off with a slight hop, then a stumble and ended up with her in a heap on the floor, just narrowly missing the corner of the desk with her head.  _As usual... All the grace of a baby elephant!_  She laughed at herself. She could just see the headlines now...  _Highly trained marine killed in trouser related accident._

With twenty minutes to spare, she was done. So she sat on the sofa waiting for her date.

Less than a minute had passed when there was a knock on the door.

 _What the...? He's early!_ Ash thought as she went over to the door and gave her biggest warmest smile as she opened it.

"Wow...! Look at you, Williams!" Sam said, followed by a whistle. "You scrub up nice, girl!"

Ashley blushed a little as she invited the Commander in. "Thanks, Skipper"

"Liara said I should pop round make sure you hadn't fallen asleep in the tub..." Sam laughed. "She was concerned you might be all wrinkly for your date..."

"O...K...? Well, I guess I was a bit earlier, but I'm alright now." The chief frowned as she inspected her hands. "She does worry about the strangest things."

"Yeah. She's got a thing about that at the moment. Obviously doesn't happen to asari. She wouldn't even let me wash up earlier!"

Ash was trying not to laugh too hard. "You sound like an old married couple, arguing over who does the washing up!"

"Oh, and speaking of washing up... You made a hell of a mess of my kitchen! You owe me 3 laps of the Presidium Ring, first thing in the morning, Chief." Sam said in her best Commander's voice.

"Uh, that would be nearly seventy kilometers, Skipper..."

"Oh" Shepard frowned. "Well maybe just one then. But you're gonna do some running!"

Chief Williams saluted. "Yes Ma'am!" Half joking but not wanting to push it.

"You are right though. We have slipped quite easily into the Mrs and Mrs roles!" Sam's tone lightened. "Although, truth be told, the washing up is  _still_  in the sink"'

Ashley tutted. "Jeez, Skip... Do you two ever stop?"

"Er... so far, only to eat, shower, dance or argue..." Sam wore a very wide grin. "...and even those don't _have_  to be mutually exclusive..."

Ash cringed slightly and shook her head "Oh man... really wish I'd never asked now... I don't wanna know!"

She couldn't help but smile at the radiant grin on her friend's face. It was good to see her so happy. Liara too. They were a good match and were clearly very much in love. Maybe she could be on her way to finding something that with Joker...  _Wait, what?! It's only the first date. Now, stoppit!_ She chastised her wandering mind.

"Anyway... So are you ready?" Sam asked, stirring Ash from her thoughts.

"I think so. If I'm honest, I do feel a bit nervous though…" Ash looked at the floor. "Typical. Send me up against impossible opponents in combat and I'm fine. Send me on a date and I'm a wreck!"

"I'd be more worried if it was the other way around, Ash!" Sam said giving her best friend a supportive hug. "You'll be fine... just remember not to chew with your mouth open!"

"SKIPPER!" Ash playfully shoved Sam.

"What?" Sam laughed tumbling backwards against the wall. "I've seen you in the mess!"

"Great, now I've got that to be nervous about too! You've been a real help, Sam. Thanks!"

"I try my best!" Smirking, Sam headed for the door. "I'll leave you to it then. Oh and don't stay out too late, young lady! Remember... We're running the Ring in the morning!"

Ash was about to protest but the door had already closed. She sat back on the sofa.

...

Joker knocked tentatively on the door, then stepped back, straightened himself up as best he could and smiled.

The door opened to reveal the gunnery chief as he'd never seen her before. Instead of her usual tied back, bun hairstyle, her brown hair fell gracefully around her shoulders, framing her face. Her eyes lit up and she smiled warmly when she saw him. "Good evening..."

"You... You look... Beautiful..." Joker stammered.

"Thank you..." She replied then pointed at Joker's jaw. "...and you've had a shave"

"Yeah... It feels surprisingly breezy round my chin. Thanks for noticing though." He smiled back. "Shall we?"

"Well, your chin will only get colder if we stand here all evening." Ashley closed the door, turned and gently held Joker's elbow as he used his crutches to steady his progress.

Ashley noticed someone peeking the window in the next apartment and gave them a wink and a smile as they left.

...

"Pssst. Liara. Quick. Joker just arrived next door." Sam called to the kitchen in a loud whisper as she knelt to stealthily peek through the blinds.

"Oh, give them some privacy, Sam." Liara entered the room, drying her hands on a tea-towel.

"No, you don't understand. Joker's had a shave." Sam beckoned the Asari over. "He looks about twelve!"

"What? Let me see." Liara scurried over to the window and knelt next to Sam.

"Careful, don't move or they'll see us." Shepard whispered.

"Oh my... He does look young, doesn't he?" Liara giggled.

"Yeah but at least he's had the decency not to wear that damned baseball cap!" Sam laughed and ducked down as the couple walked past the apartment.

Liara yelped Sam dragged her down. Both rose again to peek, and just caught a wink and a smile from Ashley.

"Good luck, Ashley." whispered Liara.

"Good luck, Joker!" said Sam laughing.

"You are terrible..." Liara chided.

"You know you wouldn't have me any other way..." Shepard smirked and dragged the asari to the floor, kissing her lips softly.

"We are never going to get that washing up done…" Liara said breathlessly.

Sam pushed herself up. "Fine… chores first. Honestly, you are such a nag!"

Liara lashed the towel at Sam at they both headed to the kitchen.

...

The waiter showed Ashley and Joker to their table and left them the wine list.

Ashley nodded her thanks and looked over to her date. Her stomach was doing somersaults.

"So, erm... should I call you Joker or Jeff?" she asked nervously.

"Either is fine, but I think in this situation, I'd prefer you to call me Jeff. It's just that... Well, it's more... personal."

"Jeff it is then." Ashley smiled. "So, what have you been doing during your shore leave?"

"Erm, mostly just sitting in bars. A little shopping. Making a few calls to family to let them know I'm ok." He shrugged and picked up the wine list "Do you like red wine?"

"Yes, I do, thanks" Ashley wasn't expecting him to take the lead like he was. It was... different. Surprising.

"...shore leave had just been the same old usual stuff, until a beautiful woman kissed me and asked me out last night." He cast his green eyes up from the wine list.

Ashley laughed. She still couldn't believe she'd done that. "Hmm, last night was fairly eventful."

"Yeah, I knew the Commander always surrounded herself with trouble, but I didn't expect that of Liara." He called the waiter over and ordered a bottle of red wine.

Ashley really wasn't used to letting someone else order for her, but she'd let it go. For now... "Yes, that was more than a little unexpected. Although, we do tend to forget that she has had over a hundred years to become a powerful biotic. She's not just our nervous little 'Miss Prothean Expert'..."

"True. I still can't get to grips with the huge asari lifespan thing though." Joker said sitting forward. "So, How about you? Other than receiving a pretty awesome gift from the Commander. What have you been doing?" asked Jeff just as the waiter walked over.

"Are you ready to order, Sir? Madam?" the salarian waiter asked them both.

"Yes, thanks." He smiled at the waiter who nodded and walked away after noting their orders on his Omni-tool.

"Now, where were we?" Joker sat back again, trying to hide the fact that his hands were actually shaking with nerves. "Ah yes; what does Ashley Williams do on shore leave?"

"Well, I've spent quite a while with 'the girls' the last couple of days, but aside from that... a little bit of reading, polishing my new gear, and making the most of sleeping in an actual bed!" Ashley smiled. "Also, I think I spent about two hours on a call to my Mom and sisters reassuring them I was ok... And then telling them all about the Citadel, my new apartment, Commander Shepard, the crew of the Normandy and our adventures round the galaxy."

"Ah, so... Did you tell them about me?" Joker asked with a cocky grin.

"I may have mentioned that we have a very talented pilot who helped save the Citadel..." Ash replied, casting him a slightly flirty glance.

"Helped?" Joker tried to look hurt. "Helped!? -  _I_  led the fifth fleet in to rescue the Destiny Ascension and therefore saved the council. And,  _I_  fired the shots which actually destroyed Sovereign..."

"Oh no you don't -  _You_ are notthe 'Savior of the Citadel'!" Ash shook her head. "You would have been blown to pieces if it wasn't for Shepard."

"Ha... As if!" Jeff mocked. "I'd have kicked its ass even if you guys hadn't done… well whatever it was you did."

"Mmmm hmm…" Ash raised her eyebrows then picked up her glass. "Carry on like this and you're gonna end up wearing your wine!"

"Yeah, well... Believe what you want, but my Mom knows the truth!" Joker folded his arms defiantly.

"I think you should try telling Shepard your side of the story..." Ashley smirked. "Then you'll see how much the  _truth_  hurts...!"

"Ok... Ok... I'll let her have her glory... Besides, she handles the press better than I ever could." Jeff smiled as the waiter brought their meals to the table.

Ashley nodded silent thanks to the salarian as the smell of the food wafted up to her nostrils.

Jeff smiled at the sight of a proper meal as his plate was set in front of him. "Thank you... This looks fantastic"

The waiter bowed and pushed the trolley away.

"It's so nice it is to see food on a plate instead of in a packet!" Ashley whispered.

"I was just thinking the same thing" Laughed the pilot. "Lets hear it for food you can chew!" He started picking up his cutlery.

Ashley shook her head, clasped her hands together, closed her eyes and started to say Grace... "Thank you Lord, for..."

Joker suddenly stopped.  _What the..?_  He put his fork straight down and bowed his head.  _Oh right..._ Then he noticed she was no longer talking, but was laughing instead. He opened one eye to see Ashley in hysterics.

"I was kidding, Jeff." She laughed. "Oh, you should have seen your face... I can't believe you actually joined in...! C'mon, lets eat, I'm starving!"

"Oh, ha ha... Now who's the 'joker'?" He said sarcastically as he picked up his knife and fork once more.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Ashley smirked as she ate her first mouthful. "Oh wow... Food that actually tastes like the thing it's supposed to be!" she savored the sensation.

Then she panicked and double-checked she was eating with her mouth closed.  _Damn you, Skipper._ She chuckled in her head.

They casually chatted as they ate their main course, punctuated by occasional glances and smiles.

Ash wasn't sure whether it was just as time progressed, or if it had more to do with the amount wine they'd consumed, but she noticed they were both starting to relax a little.

When they had both finished, Jeff leaned back and patted his stomach. "That was soooo good!" He smiled, happily full.

"Best meal I've had since the last time I was home." Ash nodded and relaxed back into her chair too.

"Which reminds me... So, sisters you say? There are more beautiful Williams girls out there then?"

"Flatterer! Yeah, there are four of us. I'm the oldest." Ashley told him all about helping her mother to raise her sisters in the absence of her father. She explained about recording Ulysses for him when he went away, and that the Commander had bought her a copy of it.

"Wow, that's really thoughtful" Joker commented. "You know, it always amazed me how she'd find time amidst all the galaxy saving, to wander round and talk to the crew, even if just to check they were ok."

"Yeah, I've never met a Commanding Officer quite like her." Ash smiled. "They sure broke the mold after that one."

Joker raised his glass. "To our fearless, yet caring leader"

Ash clinked her glass against Jeff's. "Commander Shepard"

After the toast, Ashley excused herself to visit the bathroom before the dessert course. She couldn't quite believe what a great time she was having. It was definitely going way too well. Something had to go horribly wrong.

There  _was_ something... a lingering doubt in the back of her mind.

She stared at her frown in the mirror.  _Look, he's a nice guy... You've had a great evening... What the hell's wrong?_ She tried to reassure herself.

"I'm just not feeling...  _it_..." She sighed. Her stomach sank.

"Babe, If you don't feel  _it_ straight away, don't worry." a husky voice said from behind her.

Ashley turned to try to locate the voice. "Sorry, did you say something?" She asked as an aging asari left one of the stalls.

"Sometimes it just takes a little time. Besides, the dating is the fun part. Don't think too much. Just enjoy it!"

Ash was taken aback. "Do I know you?"

"Nah... Just offering a little advice." The asari winked.

"If I wanted advice from a strange asari, i'd go and see the Consort." Ashley said, hands on hips.

"My advice is free and you don't have to wait three months for it, but, suit yourself..." The owner of the husky voice shrugged. "Only trying to help."

"I'm sorry. You just caught me at a bad time. You didn't deserve that." Ash apologised and leaned against the wall. She shook her head, slightly ashamed of her harsh reaction.

"That's ok. No harm done" the Asari gave a warm, wise smile. "So? What made this a bad time?"

"It's just that I wasn't expecting things to go so well tonight, but at the same time I'm not feeling...  _'it'..._ " Ash was now genuinely seeking council from the strange matriarch. "Shouldn't it be obvious if it's... right?"

"Well, of course it depends on your situation and exactly what you're looking for... but you just said you don't feel  _'it'_ which would suggest you're not looking for something short-term." The matriarch rested her hand on her shoulder. "But you're young, and by the looks of it a soldier. Are you sure its really  _'It'_ that you want?"

"That's a very good point..." Ash looked at the floor and smiled. "This is only a first date after all..."

"Well then! You've got all the time in the Galaxy!" the asari reassured.

"Hmm, I do always tend to be an all or nothin' kinda girl" Ashley's brow furrowed. "Thanks for giving me a little perspective."

"No problem, babe" The Asari said as she left. "Oh, and there's no such thing as love at first sight. Believe me... I'm 942 and on my 4th long-term partner… and he's a Krogan Warlord! Make of that what you will..."

Ashley smiled, took a deep breath.  _Come on Ash… don't expect the worst... Give yourself a chance!_

She cast herself another firm look in the mirror and left shortly afterward.

"Thought you weren't coming back for a minute there." Joker said as she returned to her seat.

"Well, I thought about it." Ashley smiled. "But I saw double chocolate fudge cake on the specials board. No way I'd leave before that." she laughed.

"Oh, big surprise. A woman whose mind is swayed easily by chocolate!" Joker gave a tut and a big smile.

"There may have been other swaying factors..." Ashley cast him her best seductive smile, leaned forwards and took Jokers hand in hers. At the same time, she made contact between her foot and his shin and began stroking it up and down his leg.

Joker suddenly looked uncomfortable and swiftly moved his hand and leg away. "Er... We best order that fudge cake before its all gone." He started to fidget in his seat before calling. "Waiter!"

Ashley was now confused.  _Whoa... what just happened there?_

"Are you ok?" she asked with great concern in her voice.

Joker smiled sheepishly "Fine... Just really want some fudge cake... You ok?"

"Yes... I'm fine too." She wasn't... She was now worried. Maybe he wasn't enjoying the evening as much as she was.

"Two pieces of double chocolate fudge cake, please." Joker said as the waiter approached.

This time they ate in silence.

"That was delicious." Ash said quietly trying to read Joker's expression which seemed to have become somewhat distant.

"Huh? Oh, yes... Delicious." Joker blinked as if snapping himself out of deep thought.

"Ok, what's wrong? You've been acting weird since I came back from the bathroom." Ashley finally confronted him

"What? Nothing. I'm fine." Jeff fidgeted again. "Lets get the bill."

"O...K...?" Ashley had no idea what was going on. "Lets split it though..."

Joker quickly paid for the meal, ignoring Ashley's offer. "Its ok, I've got it..."

The chief and Joker left the restaurant and slowly walked to the nearest CRT. Neither saying a word. The silence grew awkward as they walked. Ashley noticed Joker was limping a little more than he had been earlier.

"Jeff...?" Ashley asked.

"Ash..." Joker replied.

"I... I had a really nice time tonight..." Ashley sounded really nervous.

"Great... Uh... Me too." Joker gave a quick smile then faked a yawn. "Look, I've got an early start. I think I best head back to my hotel." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and got into the CRT. "You're ok to get back, right.?"

"Uh... Yes, of course. I guess..." Ash was totally dumbfounded.

"Good... Er... I'll call you." He said as the transport door closed.

She stood there wondering what the hell had just happened. It was like she'd come back to a totally different date than the one she left before going to the bathroom.

 _Well... I guess that's that then._ Ash shrugged trying to convince herself it didn't hurt or bother her and headed back to her apartment... alone.

 


	8. Good grief

**Good Grief**

Shepard sat on the edge of the bed. It was the middle of the night, but sleep was yet to claim her. Liara was still sleeping soundly, so Sam gently covered her over before grabbing a t-shirt and leaving their bedroom.

There was something bothering her. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Or maybe didn't want to? All she knew was that she felt sick and riddled with anguish. Her stomach was in knots and her heart was pounding. Something wasn't right...

She walked to the kitchen sink and filled a glass with water, then went into the lounge and opened the double doors onto the balcony.

The view was completely overwhelming. It was just so beautiful. The glistening lights of the Citadel lit up her face as she stood watching over the ever bustling 'hub' of the Galaxy.

Shepard smiled at the realisation that it only continued to glisten because of the crew of the Normandy and the success of their mission. For a fleeting moment she felt the swell of pride, but the knot in her stomach soon returned.

She thought about the last few days of well-deserved shore leave. It had been an ecstatic whirl of celebration; eating, drinking, dancing, laughing and embracing eternity. It had been truly wonderful. However, the more she thought about it, the more she became certain that it had also been fuelled by a deep desire to forget. This was the first time in four days that she'd allowed her mind to fully contemplate and revisit the events of the last few months; her mission and, of course, their ultimate victory.

It was at this point that a suppressed thought finally crystallized in her mind. The true cost of her ultimate success; the lives of all those officers aboard the Alliance ships lost in the battle. All because of her decision to save the council aboard the Destiny Ascension.

The guilt was immense, and she knew the hurt caused by it wouldn't leave her any time soon. No doubt she would carry it throughout the rest of her life... Just as she carried the pain after Acuze.

But even more painful was the memory of those who perished during her mission. Particularly the price paid by someone very close to her...

... Kaiden.

Suddenly she found herself unable to breathe. She was swept up by a tidal wave of raw emotion. Alone on her balcony, the guilt that she'd been refusing to acknowledge since Virmire, finally got the better of her. She had been holding the intense emotions of guilt, grief, sorrow and despair, deep inside for so long now, that when it finally hit her, it struck so hard that it took all the strength from her legs and she collapsed to the floor, sobbing and gasping for air.

She hadn't let it show before, for Ashley's sake. She knew the Chief carried this guilt with her too, even though it wasn't hers to carry. The decision had been Shepard's and Shepard's alone, but Ash never understood the Commander's choice. So the guilt would always remain.

She was a soldier. She was used to this. But this mission was unlike anything she had ever encountered. The entire mission had been a series of gut wrenching decisions, but that had been by far the hardest burden to bear. He was a talented biotic, a brilliant engineer and all in all, a valuable member of her crew. But he was so much more than that... Kaiden wasn't just another soldier under her command. He had been someone who always offered her a perspective on situations that she perhaps hadn't seen. But most of all he'd been a good friend. She had never had a situation where she had let the relationships with her crew get so personal. Her crew were more like family; and Kaiden was more like a brother.

As Commander, tough decisions, death and grief were all something she'd accepted as part of her role. But that didn't make them any easier to live with. Or any less painful.

Now, Shepard sobbed for the memory of those who were dead because of the choices she'd made, and openly grieved the loss of Lt Kaiden Alenko.

She held her knees to her chest as she sat overlooking the result of the sacrifices.

"Was it worth it?" she whispered, grief and sorrow mercilessly tearing at her insides.

The Galaxy was safe from the Reapers for now at least, so she had to believe it was. It just had to be.

She thought about all the families and loved ones that those officers had left behind, grieving partners, parents, siblings and children. So many thousands had died that day.

But then she thought of all the people, of all races, all over the galaxy, who continued to live... because those brave men and women gave their lives to defend them.

Shepard suddenly felt a new strength building inside her. She dragged herself up to her feet. Her sorrow now mixed with anger and rage as a look of sheer determination gripped her features.

With tears streaming down her face, she turned her head skyward and shouted at the stars.

"Their deaths will not be forgotten!"

"Because of them, we are still here to fight another day"

"We  _will_  put an end to this cycle of destruction..."

"...for the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice"

She lowered her eyes and gazed over the Citadel.

"They have given us a chance. It will not be wasted..."

"I make this my solemn promise. My oath. My mission. Even if it takes my very last breath to complete!"

She crashed both her hands down onto the railings and let out an immensely loud and terrifying noise that was somewhat akin to a primal battle-cry.

Shepard's chest heaved after the last of the cry left her throat. Her exhausted frame slumped forwards against the railings.

"Shepard?!" Liara shouted. Her voice was filled with panic as she hurried out of the bedroom, quickly tying a robe around herself. "Shepard! What's happening?"

Sam hung her head. She had not meant to wake her lover from her slumber. She didn't know what had just come over her, but whatever it was had fully vented the emotions that previously tore at her soul. Instead, replacing them with a passion and determination to do anything required to save the galaxy from its enemies.

Liara saw the doors were open and headed out onto the balcony. She glowed blue with dark energy, her biotics ready for whatever she might find as her eyes frantically searched for answers. When she just found Sam leaning on the railings she asked "Sam? I... I heard shouting. What's going on?"

Shepard wiped her puffy bloodshot eyes and sighed. She didn't want Liara to see her like this. "Its fine" She tried to steady her voice. "Just go back to bed. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you"

"Sam, I didn't just hear you... I felt the shockwave of your anger, your rage... and your sorrow." Liara approached Shepard cautiously. "Who were you shouting at?"

"The stars. The galaxy. The Citadel... Myself…" Sam shrugged off Liara's hand as it gently rested upon her shoulder. "It's fine, really. Some things just needed to be said, and I just had to lay a few things to rest." Her voice cracked slightly.

"Samantha. Look at me"

Sam kept her eyes on the floor as she turned around.

"Oh, Sam." Liara walked over and embraced the Spectre. "Why have you been crying?"

Sam buried her face in Liara's neck. "I needed to admit responsibility for the people who are dead because of me."

"But none of them were your fault. You had to make split second decisions, to which there was never an easy option. People would have died either way." Liara cradled Shepard's head, stroking her hair. "You shouldn't give yourself such a hard time."

"People are dead. I will never just accept that. I can only rationalise it and use it to help our cause." Sam lifted her head and met the Asari's eyes with hers before turning to lean on the railings once more.

"I understand. You use your grief to make you stronger." Liara leaned on the railings next to Sam.

"Yes. I now realise that I have even more reason to win this war. There are people whose memory I owe it to." Shepard looked out at the view. "Some good must come of their deaths. Yes we saved this place. But we know it's a temporary fix. The reapers are still coming."

"You are a remarkable woman, Shepard, an inspiring leader and a formidable warrior. From the look on your face, I wouldn't want to be anyone who tries to stop you." Liara rested her forehead on Sam's. "Just know... I will stand right beside you throughout."

"Thank you." Shepard turned took Liara in her arms. "You have no idea how much that means to me"

Minutes passed as Sam held her Asari lover tightly in her arms.

"So are you coming back to bed?" Liara asked finally breaking the silence

Shepard sighed and released Liara from her hold. "No. I need to go get something sorted out." She turned and headed back inside. "I'll go and get dressed while you're still awake"

"You're going out?" The Asari's face wore a frown. "But it's the middle of the night."

"Li, there's no such thing as night here. This place never really sleeps." She called from the bathroom.

Liara closed the doors behind her and walked back to their bedroom. "I know, but..." She sighed. It was pointless arguing. "Ok, do you want me to come with you?" She sat on the edge of their bed.

"No, its ok." Shepard emerged from the bathroom rubbing her face with a towel. "If anything I think Ash needs to be involved. I'll go see if she's awake."

...

Ashley was sat on the sofa in the dark. She'd been sat there for hours. Thinking.

She felt numb. She kept running over the events of the date in her mind. How Joker had changed so suddenly. What she might have done to cause it. She had only shown him affection, but his reaction had not been what she'd anticipated.

The rejection hurt her more than she would ever have expected it to.

"What the...?" Ash stood as she heard a loud noise coming from outside. She ran over and opened the balcony door, but the noise had stopped before she got outside.  _That was odd. I'm sure that sounded like..._

Her thought was interrupted by another sound. In the distance she heard Liara shouting the commander's name.

"Ah, jeez... give it a rest, you two." She muttered as she turned, swiftly closed the doors and walked back to the sofa.

She put a light on, she was sick of sitting in the dark. Maybe she should just go to bed. She considered it, but she wasn't even slightly tired.

She stood, wandered into the kitchen and made herself some herbal tea to help her sleep.

She returned to the sofa to drink the translucent green liquid. It tasted awful, but by the time the cup was half empty, she was already getting drowsy. With any luck this stuff would knock her out for a bit.

She fluffed one of the sofa's many pillows and rested her head upon it. She didn't plan to sleep long, and the prospect of getting undressed and getting into bed just seemed like far too much hassle. No she'd just have a short nap on the sofa for a while.

...

Shepard wandered round the bedroom chatting away as she finished dressing, then walked over to Liara who was still sat on the edge of the bed.

She'd been staring into space for a couple of minutes. Sam knelt down in front of her and tried to break her stare by putting her face directly in front off the Asari's. Liara suddenly jumped "Sam...? What's wrong?"

"I've been talking to you for the last five minutes..." Sam expression was one of concern as she gently stroked Liara's cheek. "...and you didn't hear a word, did you? Is everything ok?"

"I am sorry." Liara nuzzled into Shepard's hand. "It's nothing, really. I'm fine"

"Are you sure?" Shepard tried to push for answers "Because you seem like there's something bothering you."

"It was just something you said outside." Liara pulled Samantha into a tight hug. "Just... made me think, that's all"

"Uh-oh. What did I say now?" Shepard pulled out of the embrace and fixed Liara's blue eyes with hers.

"It's nothing. Just my mind wandering." Liara shook her head and smiled. "Anyway, I thought you were going out"

"I'm not going anywhere if I've done something to upset you." Sam was now very concerned as she really didn't want a repeat of the events of a couple of days ago.

"I assure you, you haven't, my love." She gently pressed her lips against Sam's. "Please, don't give it another thought"

Shepard stood. "You're sure?"

"Positive." Liara settled back onto the bed and covered herself over. "Now, off you go and stop worrying"

Sam wasn't convinced. She knew Liara was keeping something from her but could tell that it would only be revealed when the Asari was ready.

"Ok... Well, I'll see you later then." She leaned over and kissed Liara on the cheek. "I love you"

"I love you too." Blue lips smiled as Sam turned and left the room, gently closing the door behind her.

Shepard left the apartment and headed next door. She pressed the buzzer and stood there for a minute. No answer. She tried again, stood for another minute. Still no answer.

_Ok, that means one of two things... Either she's fast asleep and can't hear the door... OR... The date went very well and... aaand I don't want to continue this thought process!_

Shepard had really wanted Ashley's involvement in this, but maybe she could go and make some enquiries first and come back for the Chief later. She headed off to the CRT and entered the Embassy as her destination.

...

Ash woke up to the sound of Tali and Garrus clunking around the apartment.

"No, if we do that it will only have movement along one axis." Tali explained.

"But wouldn't it be easier to have two sets at right angles to each other?" Garrus sounded exasperated.

"Ok, firstly, if we do that we wouldn't have full movement. It would just be in four directions. How does that help?" the quarian was starting to get frustrated

Garrus flared his mandibles. "Ok... And secondly?"

"Secondly, 'easier' doesn't necessarily mean 'better'!" Tali nudged him with her elbow.

"Ok, fine. We'll do it your way." Garrus conceded.

"Arh! Keep it down, guys!" Ash said as she sat up holding her throbbing head.

"Oh Chief. Sorry, I didn't see you there." Tali walked towards the sleepy human. "Why are you not in your room?"

"It was late, I wasn't tired 'til I made some tea, then I couldn't be bothered getting up to go to bed." Ashley explained as she stood and stretched. "So, I just fell asleep here."

"So? How was the date?" Tali enquired.

"Date?" Garrus chimed up, curiously.

Tali turned and quickly filled him in. "She had a hot date with a certain helmsman, last night."

"Ooooh" Garrus joined the others next to the sofa. "Well? What happened?"

"Nothing. I... I really don't want to talk about it." Ashley headed to the bathroom for a shower.

Garrus looked at Tali. "That doesn't sound good."

"No, it doesn't" Tali shook her head "I'm sure she'll tell us when she's ready."

"I hope she's ok though." Garrus looked towards the bathroom door.

"I think it's probably best not to push it." Tali advised. "Unless you want to wake up in the Med Centre."

"Point taken." Garrus nodded and turned back to the pile of metal and electronics on the kitchen table.

...

Even at this early hour of the morning, the Embassy was full of people scurrying about their business.

Shepard headed towards the receptionist. "Hi, do you know if Captain Anderson is here?"

"Not right now, but he has a meeting with Ambassador Udina in a couple of hours." The Asari receptionist replied with a smile.

"Thanks" Shepard nodded and turned to leave.

 _Well, that's that idea scuppered then. So much for trying to be organised._ She rolled her eyes.  _Guess I could wait in the bar and try to catch him before his meeting._

She headed up the stairs and along the corridor to the Embassy bar.

"Just an ice water please." Sam said to the barman as she rested her hands on the surface of the bar.

"That'll never help you sleep." A familiar voice said.

Shepard turned to her left to find Dr Chakwas leaning against the bar. "Doc? What are you doing here?"

"This is the only place that serves my favourite brandy and doesn't have pounding music, mercenaries or semi-naked dancers." Dr Chakwas smiled.

"Ah, I see..." Sam smiled. "But what are you doing here at this time?"

"Couldn't sleep. It just feels strange not being on a ship. So I decided to go for a walk and ended up here with a drink in my hand." The doctor explained. "Now the real question is, what are  _you_  doing here at this time?"

"Same… I can't sleep either." Shepard frowned. "Actually, gimme what the doc's drinking." She said to the barman.

"Certainly, madam. One Serrice Ice Brandy, coming up." He nodded and set a glass in front of her.

"So, why can't you sleep?" asked the doctor.

"Too many things on my mind, I guess." Sam sighed.

"Come on." Dr Chakwas stood and headed over to a table in the corner of the room "You know what they say about a problem shared…"

"Yeah, it becomes something two people have to worry about." Sam smiled as she followed her and took a seat.

"So? What's bothering you?" The Doctor pushed.

"Ok, ok. I came to the embassy to see Captain Anderson, to ask if we could get a plaque or something to tell people of Kaiden's bravery on Virmire." Sam hung her head. "None of us would be here if it wasn't for his selfless actions. And people won't ever know. It just doesn't seem right."

"You're right. Something should be done." Chakwas agreed. "But I don't think a plaque is what he'd want. He deserves more."

"I know, but what?" Shepard's voice cracked with emotion. "I just... I can't think. What would he want?"

"What if you started something in his name, to make things better for people who went through what he did." The doctor offered. "Maybe something that helps the L2s?"

"Hang on... I think you're on to something there." Sam's face lit up. "You know how he felt very strongly about the way he and the other kids were treated at BAaT? Well, what if, like you say, we set up something that would help biotic kids who have been affected by the element zero exposure accidents?"

"Now that could really make a difference, Commander," Dr Chakwas nodded. "... and I'm certain he would be really proud to have his name on something like that."

Sam nodded. "I plan to get Ashley involved in this too. I think she needs to do this as much as I do."

"That's a good idea. I know she carries the guilt too. She shouldn't, but there's no telling her." The doctor grinned. "She's very similar, in that respect, to someone else I know."

"Don't know who you could possibly be talking about, doc." Shepard smiled. "Thanks though. That was a really nice idea. Certainly a hell of a lot better than a stupid plaque!"

"Kaiden went through a lot in his life. It only seems right that his name makes a difference to those like him." She raised her glass. "To Kaiden Alenko."

Sam raised her glass and tapped it against the doctor's ."To Kaiden. A good man and a good friend"

Sam finished her drink. "Whah... That's good stuff!" She said screwing her face up as she put the glass down.

"Oh yes." Dr Chakwas smiled wistfully at her now empty glass. "It's the best"

Shepard frowned briefly, then stood. "Back in a minute"

She headed to the bar. "A bottle of your finest Serrice Ice Brandy, please." Shepard said to the barman.

"Certainly Madam." The barman nodded and ferreted around under the counter, emerging a few seconds later with an ornately decorated bottle. "Anything else?"

"No, that's all, thanks." She said as she paid.

Sam smiled as she headed back to the table, concealing the bottle behind her back.

"What are you hiding back there, Commander?" Dr Chakwas asked with a raised eyebrow.

Shepard just grinned and presented the bottle to the now stunned medic.

"But a whole bottle costs a fortune!" The doctor said as she held the bottle out in front of her, admiring it. "Thank you, Commander."

"You've really helped me tonight, doc." Shepard smiled. "I just wanted to say thanks… both for tonight and throughout the whole mission."

"Tell you what. I think I'm going to save this... maybe for a rainy day or something." said Dr Chakwas.

"That sounds like a plan." Sam said as they both stood and parted ways after saying their goodbyes.

 _Right, Ash... You'd better be up now._ Shepard thought as she neared the CRT.

...

Ashley emerged from the bathroom wearing just a towel. Garrus averted his eyes.

She disappeared into her room without saying a word.

"She doesn't look happy." Tali said with great concern in her voice.

"I wouldn't know." The turian gentleman was still looking at the ceiling.

"It's ok, she's gone." Tali laughed, shaking her head.

They carried on working, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Ash left her room after just a few minutes had passed. "See you later."

"Ashley? Where are you..." Tali asked just as the door closed. "...going?"

"Not good... Not good at all." Garrus said picking up a large piece of metal pipe. "If Joker has done something to hurt her, he'd better watch out!"

"Why? What are you going to do?" Tali nodded at the way Garrus was holding the pipe.

"Oh... No! Not me..." The turian shook his head and dropped the bar back on the table realising what his stance had looked like. "I meant Shepard'll kill him!"

...

Ashley knocked on the door of the Shepard-T'Soni residence.

Liara answered the door. "Oh, good morning Ashley." She stepped to the side and gestured for Ashley to enter.

"Hi, Liara. Can I speak to Sam?" Ashley asked as she stepped through the door.

"I thought she was with you." Liara was most confused.

"Why would she be with me?" Ashley's face now mirrored the expression on Liara's.

"She said was that she was going out and she needed you to be involved in whatever it was she was planning." Liara sat on the sofa. "But that was hours ago. Where is she?"

Ashley sat next to her. "She's a big girl, she can look after herself" She tried to reassure the asari.

"I know... It's just odd, that's all." Liara looked at Ashley. "Are you ok? You look really tired."

"Didn't exactly sleep well." Ash shrugged

"Oh... Oh my! I almost forgot. How did your date go?" Liara shuffled to the edge of the seat.

Ashley sighed. "It's a long story... I think we'll need a cup of tea."

Liara stood straight away and went to the kitchen. "Coming right up."

Ashley relaxed back into the sofa.  _How do I explain what happened when I don't even know myself?_

...

Shepard knocked on the door. She could hear some curious clunking noises coming from inside.

Tali answered the door. "Commander, er... come in."

"What's all the noise in here?" Sam asked with a smile. "Oh, hi Garrus"

"Commander." He nodded. "Oh, and thank you for your gift. It was most generous."

"Oh, no problem. Just wanted to show my appreciation." She looked around the apartment, amazed at the amount of mess they had made. "I'm really going to have to explain the concepts of holiday, relaxation and fun, to you two, aren't I?"

"This  _is_  fun for us. Tali had a fantastic idea and we're just..." Garrus tried to explain.

"Making a god-awful mess of the place!" Shepard interrupted, laughing.

Garrus looked around. He hadn't realised what a state the place was in. There were bits of metal, oily cloths, pipes and random tools all over. "Oh... erm, yes. It certainly looks that way. I'll start tidying up a bit."

"Next time you take the Mako out, you'll be pleasantly surprised!" Tali said proudly

"I can't wait." Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Anyway, I was looking for Ash."

"Oh, she left in a hurry a little while ago" informed the quarian.

"She didn't look happy." Added Garrus.

"Why? What happened?" Was it the date? Was it Joker...? I'll kill him!" Shepard jumped straight to conclusions.

Garrus looked at Tali. "We don't know. She said she didn't want to talk about it."

Shepard headed for the door. "Ok, thanks guys, see you later." She left the apartment and went straight next-door.

"Liara. Have you seen Ashley?" Shepard called as she entered to find the pair sat on the sofa drinking tea. "Ah, there you are."

"And there you are." Liara said calmly. "I thought you were going to see Ashley this morning when you left."

"I went next door, but there was no answer. Figured she was either asleep or still out." Shepard sat in a chair "Speaking of which, Tali said you seemed upset. How did the date go?"

"We were just about to start talking about that." Liara said, standing up. "Apparently we'll need tea though. Would you like one?"

"Yes, thanks, that'd be great." Shepard smiled as she settled back into her chair and fixed Ash with a concerned look "So? What happened?"

"I don't know." Ashley leaned forwards and held her head in her hands. A minute of total silence passed, except for the sound of Ashley occasionally sighing.

"Thanks, love." Sam said to Liara as she handed her a cup and sat back down next to Ash.

"It was all going really well. He was nice, charming and funny. The food was great. After the main course, I went to the little girls room... got some romance advice from an asari, but that's another story." Ashley had a sip of tea. "So I decided to maybe step up the heat a little when I got back."

"What did you do?" Shepard asked cynically.

"Nothing bad, honest! I just tried to hold his hand over the table..." Ash blushed

"I'm thinking there's an 'and' coming." the Commander pushed.

"...and I may have tried to play footsie with him a bit..." Ash's cheeks were turning a lovely shade of pink.

Shepard looked confused. "Ok, that's not too bad. So what happened?"

"Well that's just it. He pulled away, ordered the desert, fidgeted a lot, ate really fast, then asked for the bill." Ash looked at the floor. "It was like he suddenly couldn't wait to get out of there"

"Maybe he thought he was in for... well... y'know." Shepard offered.

"See I thought that, but then he headed for the CRT and asked if I was ok to make my own way home and just left." Ash's eyes were filling up. "I can't believe this bothers me so much." she wiped her eyes.

"It's ok to show your emotions, Ashley. You don't have to be strong all the time." Liara cast a glance at Shepard as she rubbed Ashley's back.

"It's just that I don't understand what I did." Ash sniffed back the tears and stood up. She started pacing around. "I didn't do anything. At least I don't think I did. It was just so weird!"

"Have you tried talking to him since." Liara asked.

"Of course not! What would I say? 'Why did you give me the flick last night?'." Ash replied and turned away, eyes filling up again.

Shepard stood and put her arms around Ash. "This is ridiculous! I'm crying over Joker...  _Joker_ , for god sake!"

"I know... Shhhh... If it helps, from what you say, I don't think you did anything wrong." Shepard looked over at Liara who offered a concerned smile.

"There will be a rational explanation. There always is." the asari tried to console her.

Ash stepped away and wiped her eyes and shook herself. "You're right. I know" She sat back down. "Anyway, what did you want me for?" She asked Shepard.

"Don't worry, it was just an idea. We can do it some other time." Sam said, knowing this wasn't really the time to bring up Kaiden.

"No, I need to take my mind off things. Let's do it now, what ever it is. As long as we can walk there. I need some fresh air... or as near as I can get to that here!" Ash stood after finishing her tea.

"You still owe me a lap of the Presidium, remember?" Sam tried to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, maybe tomorrow, Skipper. I was thinking of something more along the lines of a stroll." Ashley walked to the door.

Sam walked over to Liara and held her by the hips. "Are you ok if we head off?"

"Of course, my love." She rested her forehead on Sam's. "I also have some thing I need to deal with."

"Oh? Is it to do with whatever you were upset about earlier?" Shepard was concerned again "Anything I can help with?"

"It is," There was sorrow and pain in Liara's eyes as she spoke. "...but I need to do this myself. Thank you. I promise I will call on you if I need your assistance."

"OK. I understand." Sam nodded solemnly.

"Now... you must go, or Ashley will be there long before you!" Liara laughed, sounding more like her usual self.

"Oh, I'll catch up." Sam kissed Liara, pulling their bodies together in a passionate embrace. "Mmm... That's better. Should keep me going for a few hours, anyway."

"Yes, indeed..." Liara swooned. "However, I will require more than a top-up this evening, my love." She smiled, casting Shepard 'the look'.

"You have my word as an Officer and a Spectre." She grinned and followed Ash out of the door.

Sam had to jog a little to catch up with Ashley. "Wait up!"

"So where are we going?" Ashley asked.

"The Embassy." Shepard wasn't giving away much.

"What for?" pushed the Chief.

"We need to put some thing to rest" Shepard kept her eyes forward as they walked along the Wards.

"You're not giving me much here, Skipper." Ash shoved Sam playfully.

"It's just that it'll be easier to explain it to you and Anderson at the same time..."

"OK." Ash said, glancing over at Sam. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'll be better later though." Sam smiled weakly. The pair continued their stroll towards the Embassy in silence as each was lost to their own train of thought.

...

Liara paced around the apartment after Shepard left. She walked up to the communicator several times, then turned and paced around some more. "Come on, Liara. You can do this!"

She eventually plucked up the courage to make the call. She took in a big breath and said in her most authoritative voice "This is Dr Liara T'Soni. I need to meet with the asari councilor as soon as possible. It's a matter of urgency."

 


	9. Loose Ends

**Loose Ends**

Garrus was stood watching Tali's dexterous fingers manipulating a series of wires with incredible precision, when the comm chirped in the corner of the room.

"Get that will you, please Garrus? I can't really stop now..." Tali said as she continued fiddling with the circuit.

"Sure" Garrus wandered over and answered the call. "Hello. Tali and Ashley's residence, how may I help you?" He flared his mandibles in a Turian version of a smirk.

Tali chuckled to herself as she listened.

"Oh... Uh... Hi Garrus…" Joker was surprised to hear his voice.

"Joker? Is that you?" Garrus suddenly sounded angry. "What the  _hell_  did you do?!"

"What? What do you mean?" The pilot responded, now confused.

"Ashley was really upset. What the hell... Uff..." The Turians words were cut off as he felt a hand strike the side of his skull. On impact the hand knocked the visor clean off his head.

Tali had dropped the circuit, sprinted over to the comm and scutched Garrus before he said anything else stupid. "She was angry. Really angry. We have no idea why, but I think you've got some explaining to do" She interrupted.

"But... Ugh... Ok, can I speak to her?" Joker asked, now very worried.

"She's not here. She left earlier" Tali answered.

"She probably went to see Shepard." Garrus added having placed his visor back on his head whilst frowning at Tali.

"Yes, perhaps. You could try next door." The quarian suggested

"Ok, Thanks. Um... bye." Joker ended the call

Garrus turned to Tali. "What was that for?" He asked, sounding quite hurt and standing with his hands on his hips. "You nearly broke my new visor!"

"I'm sorry but I had to stop you." Tali explained "You shouldn't tell someone's date that they are upset..."

"Oh...?" Garrus looked at Tali, still a little confused. "but... but she was."

"Think about it! Ashley wouldn't want Joker to know that though, would she?" Tali raised her arms emphatically. "Kee lah!"

"Ah... I see. Sorry," Garrus nodded feeling a little embarrassed. "...but how was I supposed to know that?"

" _I_  didn't  _know_  that. It's just common sense!" Tali walked back to the kitchen table. "Oh... Look at this mess! Now I'm going to have to start over."

Garrus looked at the broken circuit, then looked at Tali. "Sorry..."

"It's ok... Don't worry." She patted his shoulder. "Joker's the one who should be worried!"

"Yep. Wouldn't like to be him right now." Garrus shook his head.

"Me either... Right, back to work" Tali looked at her omni-tool and pointed "Please pass me that set of wires there..."

...

Liara was outside on the balcony, deep in thought, when she heard a noise come from the comm system inside. She quickly rose, closed the double doors behind her and went to answer it "Hello?"

"Hi Liara... I-its Joker." He said nervously. "Is Ashley there?"

"Erm... Sorry, no." Liara sounded distant. "She and Sam... The Commander, left a while ago."

"Oh..." Joker sighed. "Do you know where they went?"

"Not specifically, but I believe they were planning on walking to the Presidium." Liara answered.

"Oh right, I'll start there then. Thanks. Bye."

"Uh, yes... Goodbye." Liara frowned then suddenly snapped out of her distracting thoughts. "Wait!" Her realization came too late; Joker had already terminated the exchange.

 _Curses_.  _I should have asked him about the date._ She thought to herself, angry that she'd not been concentrating.

But she had a good excuse. She was just about to leave for an important meeting, which she was very nervous about.

She quickly tidied up a little and left the apartment, heading to the nearest CRT.

...

"Can we see Captain Anderson please?" Shepard asked the Asari receptionist.

"I'm afraid he's in a meeting." She explained. "Although, it is due to end soon, Commander... I'll let him know you wish to see him. Please take a seat and I'll inform you when he's available."

"Thank you." Shepard nodded and went to sit.

Ashley followed. "C'mon then. Are you gonna tell me what all this is about?"

"Well, I suppose we've got nothing else to do." Shepard said "Unless you want to talk about Joker?"

Ashley gave Sam a fierce glare.

"O...K... I'll take that as a no then." Shepard smiled and started her explanations. "I couldn't sleep last night, so I went for a walk. I'd been thinking that we really needed to do something... to commemorate..." Shepard started to stammer over her words.

"Kaiden." Ashley helped.

"Yeah…" Shepard looked at Ashley who's face held the same sorrowful expression.

"I've been thinking about that too," Ashley's gaze fell to the floor. "...but I can't think of anything that would do him justice."

"I know, right? All I could come up with was 'a plaque or something'" She smiled "Didn't really seem... enough"

"So, what are we gonna do?" Ash asked.

"Well, on my walk, I ended up here at the Embassy and went to the bar where I found Dr Chakwas" Shepard explained.

"Really?" Ash was surprised. "Why was she in a bar at that time?"

"Couldn't sleep either... Anyway, so I told her my thoughts and she suggested putting his name to something." Shepard continued. "Like something that could help people like him"

"Like some sort of fund in his honor?" Ash concluded. "That's brilliant!"

"I thought since he had such bad time at BAaT, maybe it could be something to help biotic kids, or maybe something to help L2s?" Sam shrugged. "But I don't know how to make that happen, so that's why need to see Anderson."

"That's perfect. Kaiden would like that, I'm sure." Ash smiled. "Thanks for letting me be a part of this, Sam."

"I thought you'd want to be involved." Sam rested a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Captain Anderson sends his apologies. His current meeting is over-running." The Asari receptionist said with a smile. "He did say you could wait for him in the Human Embassy and he'd be with you in a few minutes."

"Thank you." Shepard and Williams said in unison. They stood and headed up the stairs.

...

"Ah-ha! There she is!" Joker said to himself as he hobbled over the bridge towards the Embassy.

He slowly neared their position and was about ten meters away when he shouted, "Ashley!" just as they stood and walked away, up the stairs. "Damn it! So close!"

He was exhausted and continued his hobble towards the bench where they had been sitting. He lowered himself down and laid his crutches under the bench.

 _Fine, I'll just wait here then_.

...

Liara set the Embassy as the CRTs destination. She sat in the transport feeling physically sick and wringing her hands with nerves. She stepped out onto the Presidium and took a deep breath to steady herself before heading to the reception area.

"Hey, Liara." Joker greeted from the seat he'd just taken on the bench.

She walked straight past him never hearing a word, she was so focused on keeping calm.

"O...k... apparently I am invisible today." He held his hands up in front of himself to check. "Nope, still here" he frowned then shrugged.

"I am Dr Liara T'Soni. I am here to see the Asari Councilor."

"Dr T'Soni, your appointment is not for another half an hour." said the Asari sat at the desk.

"I know I am early... I just wondered if she was available now" Liara pushed.

"I don't actually think she's with anyone at the moment." The receptionist smiled as she tapped on her holo-screen's display. "I'll just check with her"

"Thank you." Liara nodded and waited patiently.

"The Councilor says she will see you." The receptionist gave Liara directions to the Councilor's office.

From his seat, Joker watched as she seemed to shake herself and take on the demeanor of someone who was here for serious business, then headed off out of sight.

_Wonder what that was all about._

...

Liara walked into a large semi-circular office with a deep indigo carpet and windows lining every section of the curved wall. The asari councilor was sat at a desk, but on seeing the young asari enter, she stood and gracefully strode towards her.

"Dr T'Soni." She nodded her head in greeting.

"Councilor." Liara bowed her head respectfully. "Thank you for agreeing to see me early."

"It is not something I would normally do, but in your case I was happy to make an exception." The councilor smiled and gestured to a large semi-circular sofa. "Please, be seated."

"Thank you." Liara said quietly. She heard her voice crack as she spoke and she could feel herself shaking as she took a seat. Now she was actually here, she felt terribly nervous.

"Actually, from what I hear, I should be thanking you" The counciloer said matter-of-factly. "Is it true that you were with Shepard in the tower?"

"Chief Williams and I formed the Commander's squad, yes." Liara blushed slightly.

"Well, word of your involvement in saving the Citadel from Saren, and his ship, has travelled far and wide." The Councilor smiled as Liara fidgeted with embarrassment. "I believe you are fast becoming something of an idol amongst the young maidens on Thessia."

"I... I had no idea." Liara shyly averted her eyes to look anywhere but in the general direction of the smirking asari sat almost opposite her.

"I'm sure Benezia would have been impressed." The Councilor added. "Maybe you will be the next great role model after all."

"You knew my mother?" Liara asked.

"Yes... I knew her well." She gazed out if the large window in front of them allowing her thoughts drift as she spoke. "Just before I became a councilor here on the Citadel."

"I didn't realize." Liara made brief eye contact with the older asari. "You see, it is about Benezia that I needed to see you."

"Oh?" The Councilor sat forward in her seat. "Then please, speak your mind, Liara"

"I know my mother has been branded a traitor for joining with Saren." Sorrow showed on Liara's face as she spoke. "But she was not. She was indoctrinated, and I need to clear her name... It's the least I can do in return for her helping us."

"I don't believe your mother would have agreed to Saren's plans either," The Councilor shifted her glance to the floor. "but, sometimes even the strongest asari's will can be bent by her emotions... her feelings for another."

"It was nothing to do with her feelings for Saren." Liara said angrily. "She was under his influence because he was controlling her mind."

"I don't find it easy to think that your mother could turn on everything she held dear, just because of her affections." The older asari sighed. "But there is no proof to the contrary."

"But she spoke to us, she told us that Sovereign had taken control of them." Liara stood and paced around. "She'd had to keep a part of her mind locked away until a moment arose where she could do something to help."

"The problem is, that only Shepard and yourself were present for this." The Councilor tried to explain but was interrupted.

"No, Ashley... Chief Williams was there too." Liara continued to pace, anxiously wringing her hands.

"Even so, the word of three is not a solid enough testimony to clear her name." The Councilor seemed saddened. "I want to believe you. I really do. The Benezia I knew would never have done what she did, of her own free will. Something must have been steering her."

"Exactly! It was Sovereign and the indoctrination. The Reapers can control minds." Liara pleaded. "You have to believe that."

"Liara, I do believe that Benezia was under the influence of something," The older asari stood and walked over to the window. "but there is even less evidence to support the existence of these Reapers, you speak of."

"But it's all true!" Liara sat down, her body shaking with a mixture of anger and a feeling of defeat.

The older asari returned to the sofa, sat down next to Liara and placed an arm around her shoulders. "I don't want your mother to be labeled a traitor either. She did a lot of good in her life."

"Then do something to help me clear her name!" Liara said trying and failing to hold back her tears. "It's not fair that all the centuries of good are forgotten because of something she did at the very end of her life."

"I'll have to speak with the other Councilors." The Councilor rubbed the Liara's back. "But I already know what they will say."

"Could we at least try to recover her remains and give her a proper ceremony?" Liara wiped her eyes and tried to gather herself again.

"I doubt that the council would agree to that either." The Councilor sighed, shaking her head. "Commemorating a traitor wouldn't really make sense."

"She was not a traitor!" Liara said, angrily shrugging off the other asari's arm from her shoulder.

"I understand your anger, Liara, but I advise not losing your temper with me." The councilor said calmly as she sat back. "I am on your side; I will not lie to you, or give you false hope... She  _will_  be branded a traitor for her actions."

Liara bowed her head in apology. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice at you, but I refuse to accept that there is nothing we can do." She said with determination. "There must be a way to convince the other councilors."

"You have to understand... they didn't know her." The Councilor again looked at the floor as she spoke, now wringing her hands slightly nervously. "They can only see what the evidence shows them. And it is fairly conclusive."

"Please... There must be something you can do." Liara knew it was futile, but she just didn't want to give up.

"I can only speak with the rest of the council. When I have, I will send you a message regarding their response, but I advise not elevating your hopes." She stood, walked back to her desk and started composing a message. "I'll make the request to meet with them as soon as possible."

Liara stood, bowed her head and said "Thank you, Councilor."

"I will do everything I can, Liara. But I can make no promises." She spoke softly, and smiled at the young asari.

Liara turned to leave.

"Liara..." The councilor called after her. "Benezia would also be very proud of the person you are becoming."

Tears rolled down Liara's face as she left the office, all the energy had been drained from her body. She knew she had tried, but still felt like she had let her mother down.

She needed to go home... and she needed Sam.

...

"She did say he was just going to be a few minutes, didn't she?" Sam asked as she paced around the empty office.

"She did." Ashley said leaning on the wall overlooking the lake which still had bits of rubble and metal sticking out of it.

"But it's been over half an hour." Shepard leaned on the wall next to the Chief.

"C'mon, Sam. You know what meetings get like." Ash tried to lighten the mood. "Hey look… there's where we squashed those three Geth with the MAKO when we came through the relay."

"Commander. Chief. Please take a seat." Ambassador Udina nodded towards two empty chairs as he walked in.

"Ambassador? Where's Captain Anderson?" Shepard asked looking puzzled at Udina as the doors closed behind him.

"His meeting finished a few minutes ago, but on his way over here he was called to an urgent Council meeting by the Asari Councilor." Udina smiled. "You'll just have to make do with me"

"OK, well, thanks for seeing us, Ambassador." Shepard said as she and Ash took their seats.

The Ambassador tapped on his display for a second then looked up at them. "So? What brings you here?"

"We have a request." Shepard wore a serious expression.

"Oh?" Udina was intrigued "Go ahead."

"We'd like to do something in memory of Lt Alenko." Shepard began.

"Like set up a foundation in his name." Ashley elaborated. "Maybe to help biotic kids... or something"

"That's a nice idea. Really." Udina said with a condescending tone. "But there's a lot that needs to be done for the living, right now."

"I understand the situation, Ambassador." Shepard had an edge of restrained anger to her voice. "But we would appreciate it if you could try to do  _something_. He deserves recognition for the sacrifice he made."

"I'm sorry, Shepard. Commemorating the dead isn't exactly top of the priority list." Udina said firmly.

Shepard rose to her feet, her brow furrowed with rage. "If it wasn't for Alenko, none of us would be here now!"

"I'm sure Councilor Anderson will agree that everyone should know what Lt Alenko did on Virmire." Udina continued. "But the fact remains that he's dead… and that is not likely to change, which means this is not of the utmost importance right now."

"You heartless son-of-a-…" Shepard was just about to start a verbal attack on the detestable little man sat the other side of the desk, but was stopped by Ashley standing up, firmly nudging the Commander and subtly shaking her head.

"Thank you, Ambassador." Ashley said as she started ushering Sam towards the door. The Chief knew that that they weren't going to get what they wanted from Udina. There was nothing else that could be done or said that would make any difference right now. She could also sense Shepard's anger and frustration growing.

"Very well." Sam headed for the door after turning to shoot an angry glare at Ashley. "Thank you for your time, Ambassador." She muttered sarcastically.

Udina stood. "Anderson said he'll need to see you soon about your next mission, Commander. He'll send for you in a couple of days."

"Right, thanks." Shepard said over her shoulder as she and Ashley left.

...

Liara dried her eyes and regained her composure as she walked back through the Embassy's reception area.

She noticed a familiar figure, sporting a navy blue baseball cap. "Joker?" she said as she approached him "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, good... Not invisible." He smiled, noticing the blank expression on her face "Never mind. Erm, I'm just waiting for Ashley. I couldn't hobble fast enough to catch her before she and the Commander went into the embassy." He motioned for Liara to sit next to him.

"Thank you." She said quietly as she sat down. "I wonder what they are up to."

"No idea. Never can tell with those two." Joker looked over at Liara, noticing her slightly puffy eyes. "Um... Are you ok, Liara?"

"I... I am fine. Or I will be." She smiled weakly at the pilot, but seemed like her mind was elsewhere.

"You don't seem like everything's alright." Joker asked. "Who did you come here to see anyway? If you don't mind me asking."

"The Asari Councilor. I just needed to try to tie up some loose ends." She sighed.

"Wow, you're moving in some high circles these days, Miss Prothean Expert." Joker grinned wonkily at her but on seeing the sadness in her expression he altered his tone. "From the look on your face, I'm gonna assume some of those ends are still undone, huh?"

Liara sighed. "Unfortunately, nothing is ever simple."

...

Shepard spun around as soon as the door to the Human Embassy closed behind them. She pinned Ashley to the nearest wall by her shoulders "What the hell was that, Williams?" She snarled, her face no more than an inch from Ashley's.

"There was no point in arguing. He couldn't do anything anyway," Ashley said quickly. "and I could see you were getting angry. I didn't want you saying something you'd live to regret."

"I don't need you making decisions for me,  _Chief._ " Shepard said fiercely. "I am your Commanding Officer. What do you think that looked like to Udina?" She asked, lightening her grip on Ashley's shoulders.

"I didn't do that as your Gunnery Chief,  _Sam._ " Ashley spat her name as she pushed Shepard away. "I did it as your friend who didn't want you to make an ass of yourself by arguing about a situation with a man who can't or won't change it!"

"Oh…" Shepard stepped back and rubbed the back of her neck.

"You can talk to Anderson about it when you see him about your next orders. Maybe he'll be more willing to do something." Ash suggested.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Shepard let out a deep sigh. "It's just Udina. He really winds me up!"

"Yeah, I got that." Ashley shook her head. "You're a real jerk for threatening me like that, you know?"

"I know, I'm sorry I got angry at you." Sam smiled sheepishly. "Just don't do that again, or I'll have to throw you in the brigg for a few days!"

"The Normandy doesn't have a brigg, Sam." Ash pointed out.

"There's that insubordination again, Chief." Sam smiled. "I'm sure I can find somewhere to store you."

"Suit yourself. I'm happy to let you make an idiot of yourself in future." Ash grinned as they walked down the stairs. "By the way, it's a good job my arm's pretty much healed or that might have hurt."

"Oh god, Ash, I'm sorry." Shepard held her hand to her mouth. "I totally forgot. Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah, it's only bruised now anyway." Ash rubbed it gently. "Besides that was a feeble attempt to pin me. I coulda broken free anytime I wanted."

"Suuure you could, Williams..." Sam teased.

...

Liara suddenly turned to face Joker. "Oh, I meant to enquire when we spoke earlier; Ashley was... confused by your behaviour on your date. What exactly happened?"

"I've already been yelled at by Garrus and Tali about this." Joker shifted his weight awkwardly. "I know I shouldn't have just left her at the CRT like that. I just couldn't concentrate. I could only think about getting to the med-clinic."

"The med-clinic? Why?" Liara wore a puzzled frown.

Joker pointed at his left leg. "Fractured shin. Eleventh time that one's gone. My own personal record."

"Oh my, are you ok?" The Asari's expression now showing concern. "How did it happen?"

"It'll be fine, I'm used to it. Just hurts like hell at the time though." Joker sighed and shook his head. "It was an accident. She didn't mean to. She didn't even know…"

"You're saying Ashley broke your leg? How?" Liara's puzzled frown returned. "And how did you keep this from her knowledge? More to the point, why?"

"She just went to rub my leg with her foot, but the initial contact was a little too hard. I didn't want her to feel bad, so I didn't say anything..." Joker rested his head in his hands and sighed "...and I didn't want her to pity me."

"At least she would have known what happened and why your behaviour changed so rapidly." Liara chided. "Instead she has been left thinking you did not enjoy her company."

"What?" Joker looked shocked. "That's not the case at all. We were having a great time..."

"I think you need to explain this to her as soon as possible." Liara warned. "She needs to know the truth."

"I know, I know. That's why I'm waiting for her." He looked nervously in the direction of the stairs and saw Sam playfully shoving Ashley as they descended. "Show time. This is not a conversation I'm looking forward to having."

"Just be careful with your words. This will induce many emotions in the Chief." Liara advised. "I am sure anger will no doubt make an appearance."

"Oh, thanks a lot. I feel much better now." Joker said sarcastically as the asari stood.

...

"Hey, isn't that Joker and Liara over there?" Sam queried.

"Oh my god... Yes it is. What's he doing here?" Ashley suddenly sounded panicky. "How do I look?"

"Calm down, Ash... You're fine. Just go talk to him." Shepard tried to be reassuring whilst wondering what reason Liara could have for being at the Embassy.

"Yeah. Easy for you to say!" Ashley countered.

"Its ok. Look, I'll grab Li and take her over to the CRT. You find out what the hell happened." Shepard headed off towards the bench, leaving Ashley to prepare herself. "We'll see you back at the apartment later, ok?"

Ashley nodded, "Ok, I can do this... I can." Ash took a deep breath and walked towards the pilot.

As soon as she approached the Asari, Shepard could tell she had been crying.

"Liara? What's wrong?"

"Can we just go home, Sam?" Liara took Shepard's hand.

"Of course." She stroked the asari's tear stained cheek.

"See you later, Joker. And good luck." Liara offered a reassuring tilt of her head.

"Thanks, Liara." he nodded.

Shepard saw Ashley approaching and gave Joker a stern look. "Be gentle with her."

"Ha, tell her that." Joker quipped.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shepard looked confused.

"I'll tell you later... Please, can we just go?" Liara pleaded.

"Ok, come on." Sam led her to the CRT, as Joker watched Ashley walk towards where he was sitting.

"Uh, hi Chief..." Joker said nervously and reverted to his self defense mechanism of bad jokes. "Fancy seeing you here."


	10. Mixed Messages

**Mixed Messages**

Liara sat quietly next to Shepard in the CRT. Her eyes were on a fixed and distant point, staring out of the window as it shuttled them towards the apartments.

Sam could tell she didn't want to talk. At least not until they were home, so she just reached over and held her hand. The blue hand squeezed back tightly, but the asari never broke her stare until they reached their destination.

Liara strode quickly from the CRT to their apartment. Shepard tried to keep pace but the Liara was surprisingly fast. She entered their home and ran straight into the bedroom and flung herself on the bed.

Sam stood in their living room, rubbing the back of her neck, not knowing quite what to do for the best. "Uh, Li... I'll be there in a minute... Just gonna get a drink, love. You want one...?" There was no answer. "Liara? Uh, I'll bring you some tea..."

Shepard clunked around in the kitchen making some asari herbal tea for them both and muttering profanities under her breath about "that stupid, good for nothin', waste of recycled air, Udina, with his stupid priorities..."

She took a deep breath before leaving the kitchen and heading for the bedroom.

...

Ashley took a seat next to Joker. She said nothing.

Joker shifted awkwardly. For the first time in his life, he was truly lost for words. Every way he considered starting, just sounded, either wrong, mean or whiney in his head.

Ashley let out a frustrated sigh.

Joker tried to break the tension "Well, this is... uncomfortable."

"Look, lets cut the crap, Jeff." Ashley said with her best stern tone as she turned to face the nervous looking pilot. "Was there something wrong with the restaurant?"

"No." Joker shook his head.

"Was there a problem with the food?" she asked.

"No." He answered, gradually looking more perplexed as the questions continued.

"Then... was there a problem with the company?" Her tone softened slightly and she winced in anticipation of Jeff's answer.

"Absolutely not." He said quickly.

She looked up at him wearing an expression of curiosity mixed with slight anger and frustration.

"So why the hell did you suddenly go all weird and then leave me at the CRT?" She queried bluntly.

"I-I was in pain... It was hard to think." Joker squirmed. "I just needed to go to the med clinic."

"Why? What happened to you?" Concern showed in her expression.

"Did something happen when I was in the bathroom? You were acting kinda weird when I came back."

"It was my leg. It, uh...broke." Joker rested his forearms on his thighs and started rubbing his hands together nervously. "…and... It happened shortly after you returned."

"Why the hell didn't you say something?" Ashley was clearly a little angry, until something in her thoughts clicked into place. "Wait a minute... You said it happened after I returned?"

"Mhm…" Joker winced expecting the anger that Liara had spoken of.

"Then I was there when it... Oh my God! It was me, wasn't it? When I tried to..." Ashley held both hands up to her mouth. "I can't believe I broke your leg... Jeff, I'm so sorry!"

"It's ok. I'm fine now. That one's a bit of a weak spot anyway." Joker smiled and rested a hand on Ashley's knee. "It's not like it was on purpose."

"No it wasn't, but that doesn't make it any less broken though..." Ashley glanced at the pilot, with remorse showing in her eyes.

"It doesn't even hurt now. The medi-gel from the clinic worked wonders." Joker tried to ease her conscience.

"But why didn't you tell me?" Asked the Chief starting to sound a little angrier. "I'd have gone with you."

"I didn't want you to feel bad... 'cause no doubt you would have, even if I assured you that it wasn't your fault." Joker tried to be reassuring.

"It was my foot that broke your leg." Ashley said bluntly. "That's about as 'my fault' as it could get."

"See, this is why I didn't tell you." Jeff smiled. "You're a good person and you take responsibility for your actions, but you can't hold yourself responsible for an accident."

"But... Ugh, OK, fine!" Ashley looked up and smiled. "I just wish you'd have said something... I thought..."

"I didn't enjoy your company?" Jeff finished her sentence for her.

"Yeah... The way you hurried through dessert, paying the bill, and when you left me at the CRT." Ashley shook her head and looked to the floor. "Well, I was left thinking the worst."

"I know. I'm sorry. I just couldn't really think straight." Joker placed a hand under her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his own. "But I am thinking straight now." He leaned in and kissed her softly on her full pink lips.

She closed her eyes and returned the kiss. They gradually parted, maintaining eye contact. "Now that's how that date should have ended." She smiled, feeling her cheeks blush as she looked at him.

"Maybe we'll try for that next time." He winked.

"How about tonight?" Ashley grinned. "You fancy going for a drink or something?"

"You're on." Jeff's smile widened. "That's assuming you promise not to break me again"

"Yeah... I'm gonna get that a lot now, aren't I? Just do me a favour..." Ashley stood and offered him a hand up. "Don't tell Shepard... She'll never let me hear the end of this."

"Uh, I won't... But, Liara already knows." Joker slowly bent down to retrieve his crutches before standing.

"Damn it." Ashley sighed. "Endless mocking, ahoy."

"Don't worry, I'll back you up." Jeff rubbed her back.

"Oh great, that's a real comfort! What you gonna do, break something at them?" Ashley stuck out her tongue.

Joker laughed. "Do that again and I'll bite it."

"Promises, promises..." The chief held his arm, gently, as they walked towards the CRT.

...

After meeting with the other members of the council, the asari returned to her office.

She sighed as she sat down, placed her elbows on the desk and rested her chin on her left fist. She was deep in thought as she stared out of the window.

Even though she had known what their response would be, the fact that she could not do anything to sway the councilors' opinions had been exceptionally difficult for her to accept.

She had raised Matriarch Benezia's case with the council, defended her actions; explained how out of character it had been and that she was obviously under the influence of some external factor.

The turian had been the most vocally resistant as usual, while the salarian added his logic to the turian's argument.

The asari also tried to use Commander Shepard's report of the Matriarch's change in character on Noveria as evidence. The newly appointed human had even tried to add weight to the three witnesses' testimonies by vouching for their reliability, but the turian's and salarian's views would not be changed.

Protocol dictated that a unanimous verdict must be reached in all cases. This proved very difficult between the four Councilors and the argument raged on until the early hours of the morning.

Eventually she'd had to concede that the evidence was weak at best, but explained that she'd felt it her duty to fight for the honour of an old and dear friend.

Anderson also could not deny the logic of the other councilors' argument, but he did manage to get them admit that the Matriarch had acted very much out of character based on what they knew from her records and that there must have been something influencing her.

The final verdict was that, whilst her feelings for Saren may have clouded her judgment, Matriarch Benezia's actions clearly made her a traitor and, as far as the official records go, she would be labeled as one.

The council disbanded and she went straight back to her office to begin writing a message to Dr T'Soni with details of the verdict. It was a hard message to write, and even harder to send. In fact she couldn't bring herself to do it. She knew the young asari would be mortified. Also, if she got the human Spectre involved, there could be dire consequences.

The councilor knew full well that both would strive for justice, no matter what it took. Shepard's resolve was clearly very strong based on her actions when her ship was grounded; and as for Liara, if she was anything like her mother, she would not give up or let it go that easily.

Then she had a sudden clarity of thought. Maybe there was something else she could do. It would certainly be risky and if her involvement was ever uncovered. She could be stricken from the council, but this needed to be done. She owed it to them both, to at least try. No matter the consequences.

She tapped at the holo-display's comm controls.

"Yes, Councilor?" A voice came through the comm.

"Please come in here, Dysala." The councilor requested

A few moments later, upon entering, Dysala said. "You wanted to see me, councilor?" She strode towards the desk with a strong air of confidence. She was dressed in dark blue armor, had a pistol holstered on her right hip and an assault rifle strapped to her back. To anyone other than the councilor, her presence would have been intimidating, but this commando had been bodyguard to her for the majority of her time as the asari representative. She had even earned the distinctive dark blue facial scar whilst in her service. The scar, which stretched from her right eyebrow markings, up to the middle of the second ridge, was quite unnerving to look upon, but the commando wore it with pride. It was a mark of her dedication to her employer.

"Yes. Please, take a seat." She gestured to a chair in front of her desk. The commando stood at military rest beside it.

As her bodyguard, it was Dysala's job to see when something was bothering the councilor and she had worked for her long enough to be able to read her mannerisms at a glance. She could see quite clearly that the councilor was anxious about something.

"I have a very urgent and important task for you. It is something that no-one else can ever know about..." The councilor's face was deadly serious. "And it will mean that you will no longer be able to continue your role as my bodyguard."

"I don't understand, councilor." The Commando queried. "Have I done something wrong?"

"On the contrary, Dysala." The councilor stood and approached the commando. "I feel you are the only one I can trust for this task. Over the decades you have served me, you have become one of the few people I would consider a true friend. This task is something I do not ask of you lightly. You will have to sacrifice your job and risk your life to complete it."

"You can trust me, councilor. I will not let you down." Dysala bowed her head respectfully.

"I know I can. I need to get a message to an asari who I believe, according to Spectre Shepard's reports, is currently assisting the human colony of Zhu's Hope on Feros" The councilor said with renewed determination. "I need you to deliver the message in person. I don't trust it to travel through even our most secure comm channels. And most importantly, no one can ever know of my involvement."

"Of course, councilor." Dysala nodded again. "What is the message, and who is the recipient?"

"It is not as simple as that. I can't just tell you. You need to understand the reasons, the situations and the need for absolute secrecy." The councilor said awkwardly, like she was uncomfortable with the situation she was facing.

"But, how am I supposed to deliver this message which I do not, myself, possess?" The commando was confused. She was used to following orders and thinking tactically, not having to unravel cryptic clues.

"Join with me and all will be explained." The councilor rested her hands on the Commando's shoulders.

"But Councilor?" Dysala looked shocked. "I…"

"It's ok, Dysala. You are indeed a dear friend, but I am not requesting a joining for any other reason than to share information." The Councilor reassured.

The Commander gave a shy nod of acceptance.

"Embrace Eternity…" the older asari whispered softly. Both sets of eyes turned solid black as the message was conveyed along with the related information, which fully explained the Councilor's ultimate motive.

As the pair ceased their joining, they rested their foreheads together. Dysala had tears rolling down her cheeks. "Understood, councilor." She stepped backwards, bowing her head. "I will deliver your message at all costs."

"Thank you, Dysala. I would trust no other." The older asari smiled and returned the bow. "Now get out of my sight! I never want to see your face again! I can't believe you would use you position as my bodyguard to try to seduce me like that!" She shouted in her best angry tone. "You are fired, Dysala!"

"I am sorry councilor. I see my feelings were misplaced." She opened the door to the office. "I will clear out my desk immediately. You will not see me again." She said sadly. As she turned to leave she nearly fell over a volus who had obviously been listening in on their argument.

"Pardon me." He stuttered as she bumped into him.

"Sorry." She said through her sobs, then ran off down the corridor.

Whilst their argument was not genuine, her tears were, because she knew that she could never return to the councilor again, even after her mission was complete.

"I will not let her down." She thought to herself. "I cannot fail. This is too important."

The Councilor sighed as the door closed. "Safe journey, dear friend." She whispered as she returned to her desk.

...

Liara was face down on the bed, sobbing her heart out into a pillow. Even she was surprised how much of an effect this had all had on her. Especially since Benezia had not even been an active part of her life for many years.

She heard Sam enter the room, and put a tray down on the bedside cabinet. "Liara, love? What's wrong?" Shepard asked softly and placed a hand on the asari's left shoulder, using it to turn her over.

As Liara rolled onto her back, Sam saw the tear soaked pillow, and the puffiness of Liara's eyes. She extended her arm and rested her right hand on a blue cheek and gently rubbed under Liara's eye with her thumb.

Liara looked up at her woefully. She tried to speak, but no words would leave her mouth and she just began sobbing again.

"Shhhh, don't try to speak." Shepard shuffled round to a sitting position, resting against the dark blue fabric of the headboard. She dragged the asari up towards her, feeling Liara's arms grip her tightly round the waist and her tearful head rest gently on her chest.

Sam embraced her, gently stroking her windswept crest with one hand, rubbing her arm with the other and offering words of comfort. She still had no idea what exactly had happened, but this still wasn't the time to ask for the details. Liara simply needed her support right now.

Sam leaned her head back on the plush headboard, thoughts of Alenko, Udina, Anderson, Ashley, whizzed around in her mind. 'Hmmm, hope Ash is alright. Wonder what he had to say for himself?' She thought to herself. She noticed Liara's breathing had slowed and assumed she'd fallen asleep, so she decided she would have a little nap too.

...

"Right. That's it!" Tali said standing triumphantly, next to the kitchen table, with hands on hips.

"I can't believe we did it all in a kitchen!" Garrus sounded proud of their accomplishment.

"I know, but if Shepard says the Normandy is out of bounds, you don't argue... Well, I did argue and failed miserably, so..." Tali rambled still stood hands on hips.

"Don't know about you, but I'm starving." Garrus looked around the kitchen.

"Yes, I am actually. I think we've earned a night off." Tali sounded as if she was smiling. "Come on. I'll treat you to a meal or something."

"Oh, okay. After you then." Garrus stopped, let her pass. He was wearing a big turian grin "It's a date!"

"No, Garrus." Tali shook her head, chuckling as she passed him. "It's really not."

The turian shrugged and followed her out of the front door.

...

Shepard stirred as Liara rolled onto her back in her sleep. The young asari was clearly exhausted, never waking as Shepard rose.

Sam sat up on the edge of the bed, stretched, yawned and rubbed her eyes. It seemed that nap had turned into a full nights sleep and it was now mid morning.

She left the bedroom and headed for the comm unit to see if there were any messages. There was. Just one. From Hannah Shepard. Sam sighed and sat on the couch. She couldn't deal with that now.

Liara appeared at the bedroom door rubbing her swollen eyes. "Sam? Why did you let me sleep so long?"

"I only just woke up myself." Sam smiled. "Guess we must have been pretty tired."

"Any messages?" She yawned, gesturing towards the comm.

"Yeah, just one from my Mom." Shepard looked worried. "I'll call her later... I probably need to explain some stuff to her."

Liara asked. "Nothing for me then?"

"You expecting something?" Shepard puzzled.

"Yes. From the asari councilor." Liara looked to the floor.

"So that's who you were seeing at the Embassy." Sam walked over to her.

"'Yes. I had some unfinished business," Liara stepped forward and embraced the human tightly. "…regarding Benezia."

"Oh…" Sam felt her rest against her shoulder. "Er… did you get everything sorted out?"

"Not even close." Liara sounded tearful again.

"Shhhh. It's okay." Shepard kissed the side of her crest and felt the young asari nuzzle into her neck.

"I-I just wanted to clear her name..." Shepard could barely hear Liara's words through the sobs.

"What did the Councilor say?" Sam asked, her voice soft and concerned.

"She explained why Benezia would probably always be branded a traitor." Liara stood straight and sniffed to try to clear her tears.

"But she wasn't." Sam looked outraged. "She was indoctrinated."

"We are the only ones who believe that. To witness her taking back control, if only briefly, to help us." Liara's hand rested on the side of Sam's cheek. "And if they admit the indoctrination is real, they would also have to admit that Sovereign was more than a just ship, captained by a charismatic turian Spectre."

"What?" Sam was furious, but realised this wasn't the time to get into this. Her voice softened again. "So what's happening about your Mother?"

Sam's expression slowly saddened as Liara explained how the conversation with the Councilor had gone.

Sam could feel Liara's body shaking in her arms. "If the councilor can't do something, then there is nothing that can be done. There's no use. Benezia did so much good."

Sam softly kissed her forehead. She knew that Liara needed help to get through this, not firing up to turn it into some kind of futile crusade, so she tried to find the silver lining. "Hey, there are a lot of people out there who won't believe she was acting under her own volition."

"But the official records…" Liara sniffled.

"Look, I know this isn't the outcome you wanted, but the fact that she influenced so many people in her life, means that it doesn't matter what some stupid records say. The real record is in those people… and in you." Sam guided her to sit down on the couch and sat rubbing her back gently as she spoke. "She was a good person, Liara. Her life had a vastly greater positive effect on the galaxy than the negative one she had in the last few months of her life."

Liara looked up and smiled. "You are probably right. It's just hard to accept when I know the truth."

"The truth will come out, one day." Sam wiped a tear from Liara's cheek. "You gonna be alright?"

"I will be." Liara pressed her lips firmly against Sam's. "And for the time being, until the truth comes to light, I would best honour her by remembering the good she did."

"Good." Sam squeezed her thigh gently. "So what's next?"

"Well, I still need to hear from the councilor. Not that I'm getting my hopes up…" Liara smiled. "And you need to call your Mother."

"Hmm, maybe." Shepard stood up and headed over to the comm unit.

She played the message she received earlier and sat back down on the couch, head in her hands as she listened to her mother's voice.

"Well that's just typical of you, Samantha. My daughter is the 'Saviour of the Citadel' and I have to find out about it on the news! Call me!"

Sam slumped back in her seat and stared at the ceiling.

"Are you not going to call her, as she asks, Samantha?" Liara asked, eyes still a little swollen and puffy.

"I don't think I'm ready yet..." Sam glanced at Liara, then back to the comm. "Maybe later. I think it's gonna be a tough conversation."

"Oh?" Liara seemed confused. "Surely she just wants to find out if you are alright and tell you she's proud of you. You were nearly killed, remember?"

"Ha! There's no way it'll just stay on that... It always ends up with her asking about... Other stuff..." Shepard laughed. "and it's the 'other stuff' that bothers me more than explaining the nearly dying part."

"But why? She's your Mother..." Liara approached Sam. "Surely..."

Liaras words were interrupted by the comm chirping.

Sam sighed and went to answer it, checking the ID of the incoming call before she accepted. "Hi Mom" Her tone was less than enthusiastic

"Samantha? Why didn't you return my call?" Hannah asked.

"I was just about to... It's been kinda busy here." Sam answered.

"So I hear... You're quite the hero, it seems." The elder Shepard said matter-of-factly.

"Just doing my job. You know how it is." Sam sighed.

"You could be a little more enthusiastic - you saved the whole Citadel from that rogue Spectre! Your Father is on duty, but he says he's very proud of you." Hannah added "And so am I."

"Thanks Mom." Sam rolled her eyes as she spoke, making Liara giggle.

"Sorry, do you have company? Is this a bad time?" Hannah enquired.

"Nah, we were just having a nice quiet evening at home." Sam winced slightly at the impending can-of-worms.

"Ah yes. When I called to get your contact details, Captain Anderson informed me you'd bought property on the Citadel." Hannah either didn't notice the 'we', or she wasn't biting. "Even he was surprised I hadn't heard from you already."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I've just had things to do... Liara and I have been busy settling in to our new home." Sam really winced this time as she pushed the point making it unmistakably clear.

There was silence on the other end of the comm for a few seconds. "I didn't realise you were seeing anyone..." Hannah's tone sounded concerned. "Let alone living with someone. Must be serious."

Sam took a deep breath "Yes... It is. Very." She smiled softly at Liara.

"Liara you say? I've heard that name on the news too… Isn't that the asari who was part of your crew?" Hannah pushed.

"Ok Mom, here come some answers for you; Yes, she is an asari called Dr Liara T'Soni. She is part of my crew. She was in my squad for our final battle against Saren, so she is as much the 'Saviour of the Citadel' as I am." Sam smiled as Liara looked embarrassed and glanced away.

"I see. And how long have you been… together?" Hannah asked. Her tone was curious but firm.

"Uh, well we met during my last mission. But we've only been 'together' for about a week." Sam cringed as she realized how sudden this all would seem to anyone who couldn't see them together, couldn't see how much they loved each other and how right they were together.

"And you are already living together?" The older Shepard asked, her voice gradually softening as the conversation drew on.

"Well, yes… and before you say it, no, I don't think I'm rushing into this." Sam said firmly "I love her. Very much."

There was laughter coming from the comm. "Well it's about time you got an 'outside interest', Sam! And she sounds impressive too, though I guess she'd have to be to compete with your work."

"Oh… yes… well, maybe I finally took note of the fact that you end every conversation with 'All work and no play, makes Sam a lonely old lady." Shepard grinned then cautiously asked. "So you're ok with this then."

"Of course. And since when did my opinion ever matter about anything? If she makes you happy, she's fine by me." Hannah sounded genuinely pleased. "I can't wait to meet her. She must really be something if she's prepared to take you on."

"Shhh, she doesn't really know what she's getting into yet!" Sam laughed, "You can say hi now if you like..." She said with a nod for Liara to approach the comm.

"Good Evening, Staff Commander Shepard," Liara said softly. "it is a pleasure to speak to you."

"Oh, please dear. My daughter says she loves you; I think you can call me Hannah." The elder Shepard offered.

"I am honored, Hannah." Liara seemed to blush slightly, much to Sam's amusement. "And if I may say... I love your daughter equally."

"Glad to hear it." Hannah sounded like she was smiling. "So... this opens up a few avenues I previously thought closed."

"What's that supposed to mean…?" Sam shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Well I always knew you… played for the other team. Not that you ever actually told me. Or brought any girlfriends home or anything," Hannah replied "and what with you being an only child and all…"

"Is this going where I think it's going?" Sam braced herself.

"Well, your father and I had given up all hope of ever being grandparents!" Hannah was laughing slightly as she spoke.

"MOM!" Shepard stood and started pacing uncomfortably, crunching her knuckles with every step.

Hannah burst out laughing at her daughter's reaction. "Well, you know... I thought you were the end of the line. Now maybe that's not the case."

"She is correct. The Shepard line could live on for centuries if we…" Liara smirked

"LIARA?!" Shepard looked shocked at the asari.

There was raucous laughter coming from the comm unit.

"Well, it isn't out of the question, Sam." Liara grinned widely at the shell shocked woman stood in front of her. "You may one day be a parent..."

"We'll talk about this later." Sam glared, with a smile to soften the edges.

"Pssst... Sam... I like her!" Her mother's voice came from the comm in a loud whisper. "Anyone who can make you squirm so much I can hear it over a comm link, definitely gets my approval."

"Yeah, that's great. I'm so glad you two get along so well already!" Sam muttered, folding her arms in a slight sulk at being picked on by both her lover and her mother.

"I look forward to meeting you in person, Liara." Hannah said cheerfully.

"And I, you." The Asari replied, wearing a huge smile.

"Sam, I think it's best if I talk to your Father about this, OK?" The elder Shepard suggested.

"Yeah, I was kinda hoping you were gonna say that. Thanks, Mom." Sam smiled. "I don't know when we'll have shore leave again, but I'll try to come see you when I do."

"Well, be sure to bring my new daughter-in-law with you." Hannah laughed.

"But she's not… we're not… oh, forget it… Yes, I will." Sam sat down, rubbing her temples in a vain attempt to ward off the impending stress headache.

"Good, that's settled then. Now, I have to go, my shift is about to start." Hannah still sounded like she was smiling. "I'll no doubt be seeing you soon enough, Liara."

"I hope so. Fare well, Hannah." Liara nodded in the direction of the comm.

"And Sam?" Hannah added. "I'll be sure to tell your father that the prospect of grandkids is back on!"

"Ok, Mom... whatever." Sam sighed and shook her head. "Take care. Love to Dad."

"Hey, Liara, that wasn't a no!" Hannah teased further. "Be sure to keep in touch, both of you. Goodbye for now."

The comm chirped as Sam ended the call. She looked exhausted. "Well, that coulda gone worse, I guess."

"She seems very nice." Liara smiled.

"Yeah... She clearly likes the sound of you too." Sam wrapped her arms round Liara's waist and rested their foreheads together.

"Yes. She was very open to some ideas others may be reluctant to accept." The young asari looked at the floor.

"Hmmm, Dad's gonna be harder to convince, but if anyone can do it, Hannah Shepard can." Shepard sighed. "I'm so glad that's over, though."

Liara locked her arms behind Sam's neck. "Well, it was a most interesting conversation… especially since we seem to have provided a solution to the termination of the Shepard line."

"Yeah well, just you two hold off on the family planning or I'll end up a 'Dad' before the year's out!" Samantha laughed nervously.

"Does the idea scare you?" Liara asked with a glint of mischief in her eye.

"Scare me? That terrifies me more than the impending Reaper attack!" She smiled, rubbed their noses together and softly kissed the Asari's lips. "But I know, one day... When the Galaxy is safe and we do decide to have kids... it'll all be fine, 'cause you'll be right by my side!"

"Always." Liara smiled and returned Sam's kiss. "I love you, Samantha."

"I love you too." Sam said as she squeezed her tightly.

"So what shall we name our first born?" Liara teased, wearing a big grin.

"Don't start!" Shepard cast Liara a libidinous look. "Besides, I think I need to spend more time 'practicing'... How 'bout it?"

Liara took her hands and led her towards the bedroom. "Now there's an offer..."

"...you absolutely can't refuse..." Sam smirked as she finished Liara's sentence and followed her through the door to their room.

Just as Shepard was about to close their bedroom door, the front door's chime sounded.

"Argh! Why do people have such awful timing?" Shepard sulked. "I'd best get that though... It could be Ash back after speaking to Joker."

"Oh, yes. She may need comforting." Liara remembered she hadn't yet told Sam what had happened. Maybe Ashley would tell her herself now.

Shepard opened the door, but what greeted her, was not what she expected.

 


	11. Expect the unexpected

**Expect the unexpected**

Shepard opened the door to have an Assault rifle shoved in her face.

Without any conscious thought what-so-ever, her instincts took over. She spun around to the side of her assailant, out of the line of the rifle's barrel, and in the same swift movement, brought her left elbow up to make contact with the side of his face. As he staggered, she swiped his legs out from underneath him with her left foot, grabbed his gun as his arms flailed wildly, and gave him a swift shove in the middle of his armoured back to help him on his way to the ground. She then knelt on him as he hit the hard floor and quickly restrained his hands.

"What the...?" Total shock was evident in the turian C-Sec officer's voice. The Spectre's weight was pinning him to the floor and his own rifle was now pressing against his cheek.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Sam shouted fiercely.

"I'm with C-Sec..." The turian was shaking with terror "I-I was just going to check your home was secure!"

"What? Why?" Shepard slowly got to her feet, keeping her eyes and the rifle trained on her attacker.

Then she heard the laughter. She looked up to see the asari Councilor shaking her head as she approached the scene, accompanied by a human C-Sec officer who was now clapping as well as laughing. "That was awesome!"

"I am sorry, Commander Shepard." The asari bowed her head in both apology and greeting. "These are not my usual guards... I am as shocked as you."

"Yeah, sorry about that, Commander. He's a newbie." The human C-Sec officer added with a grin. He seemed to be finding the whole thing much more amusing than Shepard was. "I think he got a bit over-excited... This is his first 'guard and protect' assignment."

"What the hell were you thinking?" Sam asked the decked officer as she lowered the rifle. "Why did you point your weapon at me?"

"I just went on ahead to make sure the area,  _and_  it's occupants, weren't a security risk for the Councilor." the turian scowled at her, rubbing his cheek as he got back to his feet. "Or at least that  _was_  my plan."

"Yeah... Way to 'secure the area'..." The human officer mocked. "Guess you'll think twice before doing it _that_  way again, huh?"

"Sam? What's keeping you?" Liara asked as she neared the door. She looked most perplexed at the sight that greeted her. "By the Goddess...?"

"It's okay... It's sorted." Shepard said handing the turian his rifle back with a nod. "Just a simple misunderstanding."

The turian glared at the other officer as he took his place on the other side of the frowning Councilor.

"Councilor? What brings you here?" Liara asked on noticing the elder asari's presence.

"I needed to see you in person, Dr T'Soni." She spoke softly and turned her gaze towards the Spectre. "May I enter your home, please?"

"Uh, yeah... Of course." Shepard gestured for her to enter.

"Thank you." The Councilor bowed her head as she passed. "You should both wait out here." She said to her guards.

"Yes Ma'am" The human officer said. Both officers took position on either side of the door as it closed.

...

Joker yawned as he hobbled on his crutches out of Ashley's bedroom. He wasn't looking where he was going and almost walked straight into Tali as she left her room.

"Joker?" Tali was surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

Joker was shocked from his yawn and opened his eyes to see the quarian stood in front of him with folded arms. He just knew that the expression she wore under that mask was a perturbed one.

"Ah, uh... Morning, Tali" He gave a sheepish grin.

She tried to see past him into the room to check the Chief was alright, but Joker closed the door behind him. "I can only assume you and Ashley have reconciled your differences then?" Her tone was quite stern.

"Uh... Yeah…" Joker hesitated as he realised what this scene must have looked like to the quarian. "Wait... We didn't... I mean, she..."

"I slept on the couch, Tali." Ashley's voice came from the living room.

"Ashley?" Tali took a couple of steps further from her door to see the chief peering over the back of the sofa.

"Honestly, Tali... What do you take me for?" Ash grinned.

"Oh, I-I didn't mean to imply..." Tali stuttered.

"It wouldn't really have been right to make Jeff sleep on here, in his condition, would it?" She winked at Joker who gave a wide smile.

"Nah, that wouldn't have done my leg any good at all!" He laughed.

"Don't start... You promised!" Ashley stood, stretched and walked towards them both.

"I only said I wouldn't tell Shepard." Joker said cockily.

"Wouldn't tell her what?" Tali looked from Ashley to Joker, and back again. "I have no idea what either of you are talking about"

"Well, you see..." Joker was just about to start explaining but was interrupted.

"Jeff, shut up or, I swear, next time it won't be an accident!" Ash warned.

"Well, whatever's going on, it's good to see you're both still talking." Tali patted both their shoulders and walked away. "Just don't make too much noise out here... You'll wake Garrus"

"What?" Ashley peered cautiously into Tali's room to see the turian sprawled out on the bed like a big blue and grey starfish. She looked at Joker who started giggling at the chief's stunned expression.

"Well... I didn't see that one coming!" he smirked.

...

"I had heard good things about these apartments." The asari Councilor looked around as she entered. "This is a very nice living space indeed."

"Thanks" Sam nodded. "We've only been here a few days, but it already kinda feels like home."

"Please, take a seat." Liara gestured towards the sofa. "Would you like some tea, councilor?"

"Oh, yes please." The councilor straightened her dress and sat down on the comfy sofa.

"I'll make it, Li." Shepard touched her arm and gave it a gentle reassuring squeeze. "You two sit and talk."

Liara smiled. "Thank you, Sam." She took a seat in the chair opposite. "I thought you were just going to message me. I was not expecting a visit..."

"I felt the situation justified it." The Councilor looked solemnly at the floor.

"The verdict was not good, was it?" Liara sighed.

"I'm afraid not." The councilor sighed. "Both Councilor Anderson and I put forward good arguments, but as I warned you, the evidence was not strong enough."

Shepard heard the last part as she walked back in with a tray. "But we saw it... We saw her change..." Her words drifted off as Liara raised her hand to hush the Spectre.

"It's ok, Sam." Liara's eyes held such sadness in them, but she smiled gently anyway.

Sam looked puzzled. "But it's not..."

"I know the Councilor will have done all she could to persuade the others." Liara bowed her head in the direction of the elder Asari.

"I promise you, I did." The councilor said sincerely. "But there is something else I can do... That is why I needed to see you."

"Oh?" Liara frowned. "What do you mean?"

…

"Tali?" Ash was stunned and followed after the quarian. "I know you and Garrus have been spending a lot of time together recently, but…"

"Chief… what do you take me for?" Tali laughed mockingly "It was late, he was a little inebriated, and we were closer to here than his place, so I said he could sleep in my bed, since I use my pod."

"Ohhhh… right." Ashley looked quite relieved. "Still, you had a night out on the town with our turian friend, eh?"

"We just went to flux, played some quasar and talked." Tali explained. "Then he ranted about C-Sec for a few hours while he drank…"

"Nice little date then… sounds fun." Ashley laughed.

"It was never a date, but as for fun?... Well…" Tali clarified. "Then he decided he wanted to dance and got himself thrown out after being slapped by one of the other patrons, for trying to 'sexy-dance' with her even though she repeatly stated she was not interested."

Ash's jaw dropped in amazement. "Well, you think you know someone, huh?"

"Oh, come on Ash. You can see he must be a real mover on the dance floor… just look at those hips!" Jeff mocked. "…and he's clearly a real smoothie when it comes to the ladies!"

Joker was still laughing as he looked out of the front window, until he noticed something. "Uh, how long has the Commander had an armed guard outside her door?"

…

The elder asari fidgeted slightly in her seat as she began her explanation. "I have sent my most trusted bodyguard to recruit an asari who I know will want to help retrieve your mother's body." The Councilor held a serious look on her face. "I believe you met her on Feros."

"Shiala?" Sam asked. "Why would she want to help? Benezia betrayed her and gave her over to the Thorian."

"Shiala was one of my mother's acolytes for many centuries. Also she experienced the effects of indoctrination, first hand. She knows more than anyone that Benezia was not in control of her actions." Liara explained. "She will want to help."

"My bodyguard, Dysala will contact you when Benezia's remains have been taken back to Thessia." Informed the councilor. "There, she will receive a traditional ceremony. It's the least she deserves."

"Um… Didn't the other councilors object to this idea?" Sam asked, now frowning herself.

"They do not know. And they must never know of my involvement." The asari warned. "The information I give you tonight can never leave this room."

"Wait, wait… But if it's your bodyguard who is doing this, doesn't that look a little suspicious." Sam pointed out.

"Not since she was recently removed from her duties, for trying to use her position to seduce me." She winked.

"Ah… nice!" Sam was impressed. "Pretty devious… but nice!"

"I have hopefully thought of all possibilities and potential threats and I have transferred funds to Dysala's account, under the guise of a redundancy settlement to cover the expense of this mission." The Councilor added. "However, because I cannot be linked in any way to this, as much as it saddens me, I will not be able to attend the ceremony… but please know, I will always be here to support you."

"Understood, Councilor." Liara said solemnly.

The councilor stood suddenly. "I should be going now. Many thanks for your hospitality."

"You are most welcome." Liara smiled softly and stood also. "Thank you so much for everything you have done."

She was surprised to receive an embrace from the elder asari as she passed. "It is an honour, Liara"

Liara just nodded respectfully as they parted, and sat down in her chair, slightly stunned at the councilor's actions.

"I'll see you out." Sam said and led the Councilor to the door.

As the Asari reached the exit, Shepard blocked the door and eyed the Councilor with suspicion. "Look, it's not that I don't appreciate what you're doing for Li… but I don't understand why." She said in a hushed tone so Liara couldn't hear. "If you were caught, you have a lot to lose… so what do you gain out of taking this risk?"

"Firstly, if I have done it all correctly, it is not a risk. However if anyone does manage to make a connection to me, I will deny all knowledge of the mission." The asari said matter-of-factly

"…and secondly?" Sam pushed.

"I get to fulfill a promise made long ago, whilst ensuring that someone I cared about receives what they rightfully deserve." There was an air of sadness and sincerity in her voice.

"I think I understand. I am trying to do the same for someone I cared about too." Shepard nodded. "Its like you owe it to them to make sure they are remembered for what they were."

"Exactly." The councilor smiled softly and placed a hand upon Sam's shoulder. "You are an honorable woman, Commander. Liara is very lucky to have someone like you. Love her. Keep her safe. Make sure she is happy."

"I will. I promise." Sam stated honestly as she opened the door. "I would die before I ever let Liara come to harm."

The elder asari could see the honesty of the Comander's words, in her eyes.

"You know, Shepard... although they had their differences; happiness was all Benezia ever wanted for her daughter..." The Councilor added as she left the apartment. "...and I am certain she would have been very pleased with Liara's choice in bond-mate."

Shepard blushed slightly and bowed her head to show her respect. "Thanks Councilor... for everything."

The guards immediately took their positions at the Councilor's side. Shepard watched as they led the Asari away from the building.

...

"Ok, theres something happening." Joker informed.

"Wow... Excellent powers of deduction Joker." Ash shook her head.

"I was just saying." He defended with a frown.

"Move over, Chief, I cannot see." Tali poked Ashley in the ribs.

"Hey watch it..." Ash said as she moved over.

Garrus appeared in the doorway of Tali's room. "W-what happened?" He cringed. "Ohhhhh, my head...!"

A chorus of "Shhh!" from the trio was the sound he was greeted with.

"What?" Garrus staggered over.

"Is... Is that the Asari Councilor?" Ashley asked.

"How would I know?" Jeff answered. "I've only ever seen her on vids."

"I think it is..." Tali added her view. "It certainly looks like her."

"How can you tell...?" Jeff laughed. "They all look the same."

He just received a smirk from Ashley, and possibly a glare from Tali, but who'd know. They retured their concentration back outside again.

"Well, if it is, I guess that would explain the guard." Ashley summized. "Look, the Skipper's there too now."

The three at the window all watched as the Commander saw the Asari off.

"What's going on?" Garrus asked again only to receive another chorus of "Shhhh."

"Ok, that was weird." Ash frowned. "Why would the Councilor pay a visit in person?"

"Maybe she wanted to say thanks for saving her butt?" Joker smiled.

Ash raised an eyebrow.

"She's thanking the wrong person though…" Jeff muttered under his breath, but Ash still heard and shook her head.

"Is someone going to explain what's going on?" Garrus asked again. "And tell me why my head feels like its been sat on by an elcor."

"Over to you Tali." Joker laughed. "But you mean you don't remember the 'sexy dancin'?"

"The 'sexy dancin'? Who... Wait..." An increasingly horrified expression crept over his face. "Oh no..."

"I'm araid so..." Tali chuckled.

Garrus walked into the kitchen and sat at the table which was still covered by scraps of metal and circuit boards. He held his aching head in his hands.

Ashley looked at the pitiful sight and said to Tali. "I think he probably needs some fluids." The quarian nodded and headed to the kitchen.

Joker turned his gaze to the Chief and smiled. "I guess i'd better be going."

"What? You're not staying for breakfast?" Ash smirked.

"Nah, I think we missed breakfast anyway." He laughed. "Thanks for last night though... I don't think I've stayed up talking that late... ever."

"Me either." Ash smiled and pecked him on the cheek. "You ok to see yourself home?"

"Oh, ha ha..." Joker shook his head and grabbed her by the waist pulling her in for a passion filled kiss.

Ash swooned as they parted. "Oh... Uh... Right..." She started grinning uncontrollably.

The pilot just smirked and hobbled to the door. "There's more where that came from." He winked. "You know where i'll be"

Ash nodded. "At Choras Den, ogling the dancers?" she joked.

"I'm shocked." He held his hand to his chest. "I only have eyes for one woman these days..." He pointed at Ashley.

"That is the corniest thing i've ever heard." Ash blushed. "But thanks."

Joker saluted and left the apartment laughing to himself.

Ash peeked round the kitchen door to see Garrus with his head on the table, mandibles flaring, while Tali reminded him of every detail of the previous night's events.

"I'm gonna go next-door and see what that was all about." The chief interrupted. "I need to see Sam anyway, and I might go for a run, so I'll see you later."

"Ok, chief." Tali nodded. "I'll be teasing Garrus for a good few hours yet."

Garrus groaned.

"Keep up the good work!" Ash laughed and headed next door.

...

Sam closed the door and walked back into the living room. Liara was still sat in the chair. She seemed a little shell-shocked by the whole ordeal.

Sam knelt down in front of her, wrapped her arms around her and held her tightly. "You alright, love?"

"I-I am fine." Liara squeezed back. "I was just not expecting that."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. But it's good, right? I mean it doesn't clear Benezia's name, but at least it's something." Sam sat back on her heels, keeping her eyes fixed on Liara's.

"Yes. And those who knew her well will be able to pay their respects." Liara smiled. "It is as good as can be done for now." She leaned forward and planted a big kiss on Sam's lips.

"Hey, she didn't drink her tea…" Sam laughed noticing the full cup still on the tray.

"Me either…" Liara pointed to hers. She sat up straight and visibly shook herself. "Anyway. There is not much we can do now til we hear from Dysala."

"Yeah, but its probably going to take them a while before they even find her, let alone get her back to Thessia." Sam's brow furrowed. "I'll be on my next mission way before then."

Liara smiled and rubbed Sam's worry lines with her thumb. "So, when will you be speaking to Captain Anderson to get your orders?"

"Tomorrow, I think." Sam sighed. "Which means we only really have one day left."

"My, this time has gone quickly." Liara added. "We'll soon be roaming the Galaxy again."

"Liara… you do know that it's not a certainty that I'll be able to keep my crew?" Sam looked worried.

"I knew the crew was just for the mission." The asari frowned. "But surely, after all this, all that you've done, you will have a say?"

"Well, I'd hope so…" Sam pushed her self up to her feet. "I guess theres no use speculating though. I'll just have to wait and see how much of an argument I have to put up." She smirked and took Liaras hands to help her stand.

"We best make the most of the little time we are certain we have left together." Liara stood and wrapped her arms around Shepard's neck.

Sam kissed her lover and then rested their foreheads together. "I couldn't agree more" she grinned.

There was a knock at the door. "Oh for crying out loud!" Sam shouted. "Go away!"

"Is everything ok, Skipper?" Ashley's voice came from the other side of the door. "We saw the guards."

Sam whispered to Liara. "Great apartment, shame about the neighbours."

"Skipper?" Ash knocked again.

"Everything's fine Ash." Sam said as she opened the door.

"Was that the Asari Councilor too?" Ashley looked past Sam to see Liara still looking a little pale. "Are you both ok...?"

"Yes it was, and the guards were her escorts." Sam explained. "She had some bad news for Liara and wanted to deliver it in person. It's alright though... It was expected. We're fine."

"Uh... Ok... Good." The Chief still looked suspicious.

"You wanna come in, or are you just gonna lurk in the doorway?" Sam asked.

Actually, I was wondering if maybe you fancied that run you said about?" She then leaned in and whispered. "I could use a bit of 'girl talk' time."

Sam turned to Liara, mixed expressions on her face. "But we..."

"Go on, enjoy yourself." Liara giggled. "I think I need a little time to reflect and meditate, anyway."

"You're sure?" Sam asked. "I won't go if you need me."

"It's really fine." Liara walked over and kissed the Commander then whispered in her ear. "By looks of it Ashley needs you more right now."

Sam looked puzzled as she pulled away. Liara nodded at the fact that the chief was sporting quite a worried expression.

Sam smiled and headded off to the bedroom saying. "OK Ash, just let me change and i'll be with you."

Ash stepped through the door and said in a hushed voice to Liara "Hey... Uh, don't suppose theres any chance you didn't tell Sam what I did to Joker?"

"Actually, I hadn't yet... Why?" Liara smirked.

"Oh, please don't." Ash was almost begging.

"I can say I will not  _tell_ her..." The Asari offered.

Ash looked positively ecstatic. "Oh thanks, Li"

"...but there are no secrets between bond-mates." She laughed. "Sam will find out."

"Ok... Promise never to... Y'know, again?" Ashley knew it was futile and her desperation just made Liara laugh even more.

"Not that I would eveer want to, chief." Liara said with a smug grin. "But I think if I halted my physical expression of love, that it may seem suspicious to Sam."

"Now why would you possibly have reason to try to ruin my sex life, Ash?" Sam said having overheard Liaras comment as she emerged wearing a baggy sports t-shirt and her navy slacks.

Ash looked at Sam who was now stood frowning with her arms folded across her chest. "I'll explain on the way." She sighed.

"Better be good, chief." Sam smirked and squeezed Liara's firm backside as she passed. "I'll see you later, love"

Liara smiled and placed a hand on Sam's back as she passed.

The Chief pinched the bridge of her nose. "Thanks a bunch, Liara. I owe you one!" She said sarcastically and followed Sam out of the apartment.

"I'm all ears, chief." Sam grinned.

Ashley started running. "Keep up then!" She shouted over her shoulder.

Sam set off at a sprint.


	12. Complex Abandonment

**Complex Abandonment**

Sam and Ashley had been making polite conversation whilst jogging, for the last half an hour or so until Shepard began pushing for details about this 'Girl-Talk' that the Chief was in need of. Eventually Ashley started to fill in some blanks and the truth was finally revealed.

"...and his leg, just kinda, um, fractured a little…" Ash winced.

"What!? Wait, let me get this straight..." Shepard was starting to giggle as she spoke. "You were trying to play footsie, and you kicked him so hard, you broke his leg?"

"I didn't kick him!" Ash objected. "I touched his leg gently with my foot."

"I think his shin would beg to differ!" Sam had to stop running, she was laughing so much.

"It was only a fracture and he says it was a weak spot already!" Ash said defensively and looked to her left where Sam had been. "Skipper?" She turned round to see that Shepard had stopped a few meters back and was now hunched over holding her stomach, both from slight fatigue and the fit of hysterics she was in.

Ashley jogged back to her. "See this is why I didn't want you to find out." Williams sighed.

"Okay, I'm sorry, but it's just..." Shepard stood up straight, gripping her aching jaw and trying to stop laughing. "Your first date in, what..? Months? Longer? And you break his leg! Classic, Ash, absolute classic!"

"I know..." Ashley wiped the sweat from her brow. "But it's not like it was on purpose. I mean, I didn't even know!"

"That almost makes it worse!" Sam laughed. "Completely oblivious to the massive amount of pain you inflicted on the poor guy"

Ash wore a pained expression as she let out a deep sigh. "He just didn't want me to feel bad... Instead I feel  _awful_  now."

"Oh Ash, I'm sorry." Sam rested her hand on the Chief's shoulder. "Um... are you both still okay with each other though? I mean, he's still talking to you, right?"

"Yeah. In fact, we had a really nice evening last night." Ash smiled mischievously. "He even stayed over..."

"Oh?" Sam raised a worried eyebrow. "So... you...?"

The Chief shook her head and smiled. "We were up talking 'til the early hours." She explained. "Then he slept in my bed, while I slept on the couch."

"Very... gentlemanly of you!" Shepard teased.

Ash simply glared at her. She wasn't going to bite. "It was really nice.  _He's_  really nice."

"Well, that's really... 'Nice' then, right?" Sam asked Ashley. "I assume you'll be seeing each other again?"

"Oh yeah, definitely." Ash smiled. "I mean, we seem to get on really well, so I don't see why not."

"I'm really pleased for you guys." Sam gave a warm smile. "It's good to see you happy."

"Thanks, Skipper." Ash said, blushing a little. "Um, shall we carry on?" She gestured in the direction they had been running.

Sam nodded and they set off jogging again.

After a few paces Shepard nudged Ashley. "Tell you what though, if you can break his leg playing footsie... God help him if you guys ever do the deed!" Sam grinned and set of at a sprint.

"Oh ha ha!" Ash sped up to pursue.  _Hmmm, actually, that's a good point!_ She thought as they carried on their lap of the Presidium.

...

For many minutes, Liara sat crossed legged in the centre of the lounge, but no matter how she tried, she just couldn't seem to focus enough to meditate.

Of all the things that had happened in the last couple of days, one conversation, it seemed, had bothered her the most; the last one she'd had with Sam.

What if she couldn't join Shepard on her new mission? What would she do without her? She couldn't stand the thought of not being with Samantha. And Goddess forbid, what if something happened to Shepard while they were apart?

Liara could feel the tremendous pain of loss deep inside her gut, and that was only at the  _idea_  of losing her bond-mate. It would surely destroy her if she were to actually lose the love of her, albeit short, life. Of course one day she would have to face the prospect of living on without Shepard but hopefully that would not be for a very long time yet.

These painful thoughts were not something she wanted to dwell on, so she decided to distract herself from them and pay Tali a visit.

...

Sam knew there would be a nice bruise forming on her upper right arm from where Ashley had caught up and thumped her after her jibe.  _Totally worth it though._ Shepard thought and smirked to herself.

Ashley had been fairly quiet since their chat, only breaking it to point out areas of the Presidium that they had damaged during the attack and places that were being mended at great speed by the remaining Keepers.

The duo headed towards the Embassies.

"Hey, why don't we see if Anderson is in while we're here?" Ash suggested.

"I don't know..." Sam agreed. "It's a bit informal, isn't it?"

"We  _are_  on shore leave. Formality shouldn't come into that time at all." Ash reminded gently.

"Good point." Sam agreed. "He may not even be there anyway."

"Let's just hope Udina isn't there instead!" Ash joked.

Sam almost shivered at the sound of his name. "Ugh, don't even..."

As they reached the top of the stairs and approached the door, they could hear Anderson and Udina bickering in the Human Embassy.

"No. You're wrong. And she's not going to agree to that.  _I_ don't even agree!" Anderson lowered his voice to a firm whisper when he noticed the two marines at the door. "Besides, she's a Spectre. The choice is hers now."

"She may be a Spectre now, but she's a human first…" Udina said with a vicious tone as he turned and left the room, glaring as he passed Shepard. "... her loyalty  _should_  be to her own kind."

Shepard scowled as she watched the Ambassador leave. "Uh, is this a bad time, Captain?" She asked as she turned to Anderson and saluted. So too did Ashley.

"At ease, Commander. Chief." Anderson saluted back. "Please come in."

Sam walked up to the desk he was sitting at. She stood at military rest with the Chief at her side.

"I'm sorry I missed you the other day." He apologised. "I was called into a council meeting at the last minute."

"We understood, Sir." Sam replied. "Guess that'll be happening quite a lot from now on."

"Yes, I'd imagine so. I'm just sorry that meant you had to meet with _him_  instead." He nodded towards the door Udina had just left through.

"Yes, Sir... About that..." Shepard shifted her weight slightly.

"Don't worry, Shepard. Whilst on some level Udina is right about dealing with the living first..." Anderson explained. "...what kind of monsters does it make us if we don't pay our respects to those who gave their lives so we  _can_  live on?"

Shepard simply nodded. She was relieved that Anderson had taken the opposite viewpoint to the Ambassador.

"As soon as the research has turned up something appropriate and, of course, when the resources are available..." He continued, "I will personally make sure that Lt Alenko's name is put to a worthy cause to help others like him."

"Thank you, Councillor." Shepard said solemnly.

Ashley added. "We believe it's what he would have wanted."

"Indeed. I think there may be something within the Ascension Project, but as I say, it needs to be researched properly." He smiled. "I'm just glad I'm in a position to be able to assist."

"I must admit, Udina had us worried." Shepard was startled by Anderson suddenly rising to his feet shaking his head.

"I just don't know what his problem is." The Councillor started pacing round the office. "He should never have said those things to you, he should have simply passed your request to me."

"He's probably still angry I didn't suggest that he should be the Human Councillor." Shepard shook her head. "I think at least some of his problem is with me."

"Hmmm maybe, and I know he also still hasn't gotten over me knocking him out to release the Normandy. I think we may both have incurred his wrath." Anderson's tone was solemn. "And he may be trying to cause some more trouble for you now."

"Is that what you were arguing about when we came in?" Ashley asked.

"Unfortunately, yes" Anderson answered.

"What's he trying to do this time?" Shepard asked.

"He has an issue with your crew." Anderson could barely look at the Commander.

"What? Why!?" Shepard asked angrily.

"He thinks as a human spectre, your crew should be all human" The councillor seemed frustrated.

"That's ridiculous. Other Spectre's have crews of mixed races." Shepard was outraged. "Besides, hasn't the mix of the Normandy's crew shown what we can achieve together?"

"Exactly. And it's not just about the Human race. It's about what's best for the whole Galaxy and ALL it's occupants." Ashley added.

Shepard looked at the chief and nodded, smiling slightly at how far she had come since the conversation she'd had on the  _Normandy_  when she was worried about the crew herself.

"I know that. You know that. But unfortunately Udina has a history of making some bad ideas seem like good ones." Anderson sat down again.

"Yeah, like agreeing to ground the  _Normandy_  at the most crucial point." Ash growled.

"Look, this is all speculation until I talk to the Alliance Brass and the Council later on." Anderson frowned. "Hopefully they will see sense."

"I certainly hope so." Shepard shook her head.

"I do have some good news though." Anderson smiled weakly. "Your request to have Chief Williams as a permanent member if your crew has been granted."

"Well that's a step in the right direction at least." Shepard smiled at Ash who returned her expression.

"Thank you, Sir." Ashley saluted.

"I'll send for you as soon as I know what's going on, Commander." Anderson stood and saluted.

Shepard nodded, returned the salute, turned on her heels and left the room at a brisk pace followed closely by Williams.

When the door had closed behind them Sam leaned against the wall. Her teeth gritted and her face contorted by the rage she was feeling inside.

Ashley, whilst relieved that she would at least still be with Shepard, was furious at what they'd just heard. "Sam, I'm really sorry."

"What for?" Shepard asked, rage switching to confusion.

"I shoulda just let you hit Udina last time we were here." Ash sighed.

This brought a brief smile to Shepard's face. "Yeah, next time I see that little weasel…"

"I'll hold him still for you!" Ash added.

"Thanks, Ash." Shepard laughed. "Come on, let's go. I need to get back and talk to the others."

"You sure?" Ash asked. "Don't you want to wait til you know for certain?"

"I need to at least warn them." Sam said as she pushed herself away from the wall. "I don't want it to come out of the blue if it is bad news."

"Understood." Ashley nodded, then cautiously added. "What about Liara?"

"I know. It's gonna be hard enough if I have to lose the others, but I... I just can't lose her." Shepard said with sorrow making her voice crack as she spoke. "I know I'm not supposed to let personal feelings get in the way of my work, but I only just found her... I just... I can't..."

"Well, let's just hope it doesn't come to that." Ashley squeezed Sam's arm gently. "It's over to Anderson now."

"Yeah. You're right. And worrying isn't gonna change anything." Sam shook herself and they both headed for the CRT. "Ok, come on."

...

Tali was wandering round the apartment tidying up the scraps of metal and circuit boards that still littered the place. She'd spent the last couple of hours explaining Garrus' antics from the previous night in great detail. So much detail that he was in quite a state by the time she'd finished. She'd felt so sorry for him that she sent the pale looking turian back to bed.

There was a gentle knock at the door. The young quarian opened it to find Liara with a worried look on her face.

"Liara?" Tali was concerned by her expression. "What's the matter? Is everything ok? Where's Shepard?"

Liara realised her face must be showing her worries and quickly forced a smile. "Everything is fine. Sam and Ashley went for a run a little while ago."

"Oh... It's just you looked so... worried." Tali gestured for the asari to enter instead of standing talking in the doorway.

"Thank you." Liara nodded as she entered. "I'm sorry, I just have a few things on my mind."

"Care to share?" Tali offered. "The humans have an expression about a problem being halved if it is shared..."

"I don't believe that would be true of this case…" Liara smiled. "but thank you."

"Well... if you don't mind, I have a problem I could do with sharing" Tali's tone seemed to have a distinctly anxious edge to it. She turned and walked out on to the balcony and beckoned Liara over.

"Of course." Liara followed Tali. "Are you alright?"

"I am… torn" Tali sighed. "My pilgrimage is now over and therefore, I am expected to return to the flotilla and join the crew of one of the Fleet's ships."

"I had suspected that you may be leaving us soon." Liara frowned.

"Yes... But that's the problem." Tali continued. "Because I have seen so much in my time with the Commander, I do not wish to leave the Normandy. I want to carry on exploring the Galaxy as part of her crew."

Liara was a little confused. "So why not stay?"

"I have a responsibility to return to my people. To take my place within the fleet and take back my experiences to share with and teach the others." Tali said despondently.

"I see." Liara leaned forwards and rested her chin on her hand. "You are torn between responsibility and your own desires."

"Yes… and whilst I'd never want to let my Father down… I don't want to let Shepard down either." Tali's voice was almost cracking with emotion. "She has done so much for me. The crew of the Normandy have become like family now too."

The Asari asked. "Have you spoken to your father about this? Maybe you could explain your dilemma?"

"I finally plucked up the courage to speak to him just yesterday. He was so proud of what I have done. But I could not explain this to him. He would never understand the reasons for my hesitation." Tali slouched back into her chair. "He says I have done more than enough to earn my place on _any_  ship within the fleet and that everyone is looking forward to hearing all of my stories when I get back."

"Then you should speak to Shepard." Liara advised. "She will understand that, whilst you may not want to, you have to return home."

"But I have so much more to do and see." Tali suddenly got to her feet and rested against the railings. "I could maybe even make a life for myself outside the flotilla."

"Surely not all young quarians return to the fleet?" Liara asked. "There must have been instances where some didn't return?"

"Yes, of course, but it is usually assumed that something bad happened to them during their travels." Tali replied turning to rest her lower back against the railings. "The only other reason a quarian would not be allowed to re-join the fleet is if they had betrayed our people... In which case, they would be exiled."

"Is there no way to extend your pilgrimage until you feel you are ready to return?" Asked Liara, trying to find a solution.

"I don't think so. The problem is that Father has told everyone on the flotilla that I was involved in Shepard's mission." Tali elaborated. "Whilst they are all very proud, they also want me back as soon as possible."

"Tali, I am sure Samantha will understand that you are in a difficult position. The choice is yours to make and she will back you, whatever you decide." Reassured Liara.

"I just don't want her to think I  _want_  to leave." Tali explained. "If I had no responsibilities… no family… I would stay in an instant… but…"

"..but the fact is, you do." Liara interrupted with a knowing smile. "You feel you cannot turn your back on them for your own gain, because that is not the type of person you are, Tali."

Tali took her seat again. "It's just so hard." She slouched back into the chair once more.

"Do you want me to talk to Sam for you?" Liara offered.

"I… I don't know" Tali sighed. "Maybe if you just mention to her that I need to talk to her. I owe it to her to tell her myself."

"Do not worry about it. Sam will understand." Liara rested a hand on the quarian's knee.

"I hope so." Tali said in little more than a whisper.

...

"Liara?" Sam shouted as she opened the door to the apartment.

"I'll catch you later, Skipper." Said Ash from the doorway. "I'm gonna go get cleaned up."

"Ok, Chief." Sam called from the bedroom after having done a quick searched of all the rooms. "If you see my missus nextdoor, send her home would you?"

"Sure thing." Ash replied before departing.

Ashley heard voices coming from outside as she entered her apartment. "Tali?!" She shouted as she walked towards the double doors which led out to the balcony. "If that's Liara your talking to... Ah-ha!"

"Chief." Liara nodded.

"Your other half wanted me to send her 'missus' home if you were here." Ash smirked.

"I will return in a moment when I have finished my discussion with Tali." Liara said with a firm tone and raised eyebrow.

Ashley raised both hands in surrender. "Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I'm gonna go clean up. See ya later." She quickly took her leave and strolled towards her bedroom. She noticed Tali's door was open as she passed and curiosity got the better of her. She peered into the dusky room where thin slivers of light streamed through tiny gaps in the shutters, streaked across the floor and up the side of the bed. She could just about make out the shape of a turian asleep on the bed once more. She could also make out the faint whistling sound Garrus was making as he snored in his slumber.

The Chief smiled and entered her own room and collapsed face first on the bed. She would never admit it to Sam, but she was exhausted.  _Maybe just a little nap before I shower... again._ Ashley thought as she lay prone on her bed.

...

Sam wandered round for a few minutes, anxiously pacing, until she noticed a little green light flashing on the comm unit.

She walked over and pressed the button; a holographic projection of a krogan appeared in the middle of Sam's living room. Even in the orange coloured tones of the projection, she could still make out the distinctive, three line scar across the right side of the krogan's face.

"Shepard...? Damn it, Shepard! You better not be screening your calls... Shepard?!" Wrex sighed and shifted his weight. "Fine. Look, I didn't want to tell you like this, but there's some stuff going down, here on Tuchanka. The Urdnot tribe shamen says that, thanks to my recent experiences, I'm the best tribe member to deal with it. So... what I'm saying is, I'm sorry, Shepard. I'm not coming back. At least not for a while." He seemed genuinely saddened. "It's been an honour to fight at your side, Commander. I'm... well, lets just say I'm going to miss your crazy plans. And thanks for not shooting me on Virmire." He grinned slghtly. "Feel free to drop in if you're passing." He saluted in as sincere a way as he could muster, and the holo-recording fizzled from sight.

Sam sat down in stunned amazement. She really wasn't expecting that. Moreover, she was surprised how much the news had upset her. It simply wouldn't be the same without the big lug and his unique viewpoints. She had become used to having Wrex around, and there was going to be a very large hole in her crew that she doubted would ever be filled, unless he himself one day returned. Maybe he would. She hoped he would.

Sam heard the front door close as Liara quietly entered the apartment. On seeing the commander's expression, she said softly. "Samantha? What's the matter?"

Sam shook herself from her mind's wanderings. "Oh, hey Liara."

"Are you alright, my love?" The asari asked. "You seem to be frowning quite a lot."

Samantha's expression instantly lightened to a small smile as she stood and walked over to Liara. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a bit of... well... bad news, I guess."

"Oh?" Liara stroked the human's cheek with her palm. "What's happened?"

"Its Wrex. He's not coming back." Sam said as she nuzzled the blue hand that caressed her face. "He's got to sort some 'stuff' out on his home world."

"Oh, I am sorry to hear that." Liara took hold of Shepard's hands. "The  _Normandy_  certainly won't feel the same without him."

"Yeah, I know." Sam sighed. "I must admit, I'm a little shocked by how much I think I'm gonna miss him"

Liara looked worried. This was probably not the best time to bring up the young quarian's turmoil, but she had said she would mention it to Sam before Tali spoke to her. "Samantha... I am afraid Tali would also like to talk to you about a similar issue sometime in the near future."

"What?!" Sam dropped her hands and turned away suddenly and started pacing a little whilst rubbing her temples. "Well, I suppose I knew this one was coming." She stopped and rested against the back of the sofa.

"She is in a very difficult position, Sam." Liara added. "It is not that she wants to leave... And I imagine it is not what Wrex truly wanted either."

"Yeah, I know that, but I just hate the thought of losing everyone. We make such a great team." Sam sighed, her frown deepening by the second.

"You are a caring Commander, Shepard." Liara smiled warmly at her lover's furrowed brow. "Few others in your position would have taken the time to get to know their crew like you have."

Liara tried to rest a comforting hand on Shepard's back, but Sam just shrugged it off as she pushed herself away from the sofa.

"Hmmm, I'm starting to think maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all." Shepard mumbled as she stretched and walked towards the bathroom. "I'm gonna take a shower. I'll be back in a little while."

Liara watched the bathroom door close behind Samantha. She stood in the middle of the room, now wearing a frown herself.


	13. Strange Sensations

**Strange Sensations**

Ashley woke up in almost the exact position that she was in after falling onto her bed after the run. Although now there was a soggy patch of bed just beneath her cheek where she'd been drooling in her sleep.

She pushed herself up and flopped onto her back.  _I obviously needed that._ She thought as she saw that it was now late afternoon.

 _I can't believe shore leave's nearly over... Wonder what we'll be doing next... What our mission's gonna be..._ She pondered, then began drifting off topic a little. _I wonder if Jeff's got any plans for tonight... Maybe we should make the most of the time we've got left... while we're not on a mission, it's not really fraternisation... Actually, what happens when we're back on duty?... Will we be breaking the rules...? Maybe Shepard's gonna have to make up her own rules... She can't follow usual Alliance protocol because then she and Liara will be breaking the rules too... Hmmm... I think we'll need to chat about this..._

Ashley sat up on the edge of the bed and took off her boots. "Right. Shower time." She grabbed her towels and padded off towards the bathroom.

...

Several minutes had passed since Shepard entered the bathroom, but Liara hadn't yet managed to move from the spot where she stood when Sam stormed off.

She felt extremely hurt by the way Sam had just walked away from her in a temper, but she knew that for Shepard to react as she did, there must be a very a good reason. This softened her anger a little.

 _Why does she close herself off like this? Why can't she just talk to me?_ She thought, folding her arms in frustration.

Liara didn't think that it could simply be down to the latest events. Although losing Wrex and Tali would certainly be cause for great sadness, it seemed like something which was rooted somewhat deeper than that. However, she also knew that Sam probably wouldn't let on what the reason was until she was good and ready. That was the way Shepard seemed to handle things; block everyone out until she figures out how to deal with it herself.  _Typical. Always so guarded. That woman is infuriating... I just wish she'd let me help_.

Whatever it was though, must be serious indeed, for her to lash out with such a hurtful statement.

 _What reason could she have to say something like that? What was not such a good idea?_ Liara was trying to further analyse the situation to try to fathom what might be causing the tension in her lover.

As she pondered, a troubling thought occurred to her.  _Surely she... She can't possibly regret... Us?_  This notion was really unsettling, even taking into account that she had felt for herself how much Sam loved her.  _I know she feels as strongly as I... That couldn't have changed, could it…? No, I would have felt it..._ She started to lose herself in her thoughts. _But what if that is what I am feeling now?_  There was a knot forming in her gut that she'd never before experienced. Liara tried to put these thoughts out of her head but, she was unable to shake the worry that now plagued her mind.

 _If she does have regrets… what am I supposed to do?_ The asari, who was now close to tears, propped herself up against the wall opposite the bathroom and waited for Sam to emerge. She needed answers that only Shepard could provide. She needed to know what it was that had caused both her verbal and physical reaction. More than that, she needed to know it wasn't because Sam no longer cared for her as much as she thought she did.  _And if she doesn't... How dare she make me feel like this?_ Her anger and frustration was building as she stood there.  _I need to know what's going on in that mind of hers._

She expected it would be hard to get any answers from Sam because she would of course resist if she was not ready to talk. Liara knew full well that there was nothing and no-one more stubborn than Sam, but even if she had to slowly and gradually dig through her defences, then this asari was the right person for the job. She was an archaeologist after all.

...

Sam sat cross-legged on the floor of the shower cubicle. She had her elbows resting on her knees and supported her head in her hands.  _I'm gonna have no damn crew left before long._  She sulked. Water was raining on her from the shower high above her head. Hair was plastered to her face as she felt the hot water hit her head and run down over her back and shoulders.

She had a strange and unsettling sensation inside her. Sort of queasy, but it was much more painful. Like a mixture of worry, anxiety and fear. The sensation was really intense... and unlike any other emotion she'd ever experienced.

Being an Alliance Commander and now a Spectre, she was used to feeling the extremes of emotion and she had learned over the years to use them to her advantage. Her 'instincts', which Ashley often referred to, were almost certainly the product of using those emotions alongside her experiences, to provide her with something akin to an inbuilt early warning system. A system that was rarely inaccurate and had frequently served her well, both in combat and in her personal life.

She had also learned early on in her military career to disguise her emotions whenever she was worried or anxious about a situation. Know your fears, but never show them. This was all the more important as she rose through the ranks. She used it to always be the strong, fearless, stead-fast leader that her crew knew they could depend upon. By the time Shepard had reached Lt Commander, it had long since become second nature to her.

Of course, usually the source of fear or anxiety was fairly obvious, thus making it easy enough to hide. Once you know what you fear, you can rationalise it, and overcome it.  _...but I didn't even feel like this when I was fighting Saren. So, why now?_

She knew that until she discovered the reason for the turbulence within, there was no way to hide it. This was like her 'instincts' were trying to warn her, but she couldn't interpret what the danger or threat was.  _What's changed that means I suddenly have something new to be afraid of?_

As she pondered, she leaned back against the cold tiles. Obviously she was upset by the loss of two of her team. She knew that. She would miss them both terribly. She hated losing crew. _Tali and Wrex can't be the reason for this though._  She had lost crew before, and in a much more permanent way, so she knew only too well the agony that went along with that. This was not the same feeling. It was different. Not worse, but certainly not better. So,  _why am I taking this so personally?_  It wasn't like they were just abandoning her. Wrex would probably come back eventually, and even before talking to Tali she knew the young engineer didn't actually want to leave.

 _That's a point, I must go see Tali later._  She thought as she let her mind stray from the point slightly.

She returned her thoughts to the problem.  _The fact is, crew members sometimes change; that's how ships work_. She would simply have to rebuild her team. _I'm Commander Shepard… and a Spectre... It's surely going to be easier to recruit people now._

Whilst that was probably very true, it wasn't what she wanted.  _But I don't want a new team! I want my team. People I trust._  She sighed, returning to her former sulking position. _But I can't. I will need more ground-crew._  She thought, trying to be more rational. She didn't have a choice and she would just have to deal with it.

Her stomach churned again as the feeling gripped her again.  _Ok, so that's not it... What else is there?_

Maybe it was the reapers.  _I know they're still out there. And I know I need to stop them... but that makes no sense because I've known that for some time now. This is something new... and really, painfully intense._

 _Right… what else?_ She was determined to find the source and she wouldn't leave the shower until she had worked it out.

Anderson's warning about Udina 'human only crew' had definitely given her cause to worry. If the Alliance did agree with him, she'd probably have to give up the Normandy and gather an entirely new crew. It was going to be hard enough to replace the two ground crew, never mind the  _whole_  crew and find a new ship,  _I love that ship..._ She sighed, frowning as she started to rub her temples to try to cajole her mind into figuring this out.  _...and I certainly don't want to lose yet more of the team. They're strong, smart, brave and loyal... and I've come to trust them all._

She smiled to herself remembering how the Normandy's crew had stuck by her, despite the fact that they could all have been court marshalled for their actions. _But I simply can't have an all human crew… there's no way I'm going on a mission without Liara._ The penny dropped as her stomach twisted violently at this thought. _Ahhh. Of course._  She shook her head at her own blindness. She should have known that was the root of it all.  _I can't stand the thought of being away from her._

Sam smiled to herself, amazed that she hadn't seen the obvious, but after all they'd been through, she no longer really thought of Liara as an 'alien'… She was a part of her… a big part. She started to stand up. _There's just no way I could do it. I'd never leave her._ She thought about the last six days she'd spent with her asari bond-mate. Shepard was sometimes surprised at how intense the feelings had become in such a short time.  _I don't think I'd even know how to live without her now._  She knew for certain that this had to be the source of the fear.

She leaned against the wall of the shower, still frowning.  _I'm sure it won't happen though. Anderson won't let Udina get his way. The whole idea is ridiculous; he has no grounds for his argument at all._

She finished washing and stepped out of the cubicle onto the cold floor.  _And besides, Liara and I are far too good together... both on and off the battlefield._  She smirked to herself.

Sam leaned on the sink, still deep in thought. But the more she thought about it, the more it concerned her. Her instincts about these things were usually spot on. Why she would ever need to be afraid of losing Liara.

"I love her, and she loves me. We won't ever be apart. I know that." She said out loud, almost trying to convince herself it was the absolute truth… despite the fact that yet again her stomach started doing somersaults.

Shepard gave herself a gentle mock slap around the face. "Come on, Shep. Pull yourself together." She said to her reflection in the mirror, trying to peer through the steam which was obscuring the view.  _So_ ,  _maybe the old instincts are a little off when it comes to love. It's not like I'm exactly well versed in this stuff_. She reached towards the reflective surface and was just about to wipe it over when she smirked with a mischievous glint in her eye. She began to draw a big heart shape on the glass and then wrote "Sam + Liara. Always  & Forever" inside it. A big grin now spread across her face.

Having grabbed a towel to rub her hair dry, she opened the bathroom door and stepped out. She was a little surprised to be greeted by the frowning figure, leaning against the wall opposite. "Samantha, we need to talk" Liara said sternly.

...

Tali sat at the table in the kitchen with Garrus seated opposite her eating the contents of a food pack. He kept glancing up at her and frowning. Her body-language concerned him.

She was resting her head on her hands and kept sighing. She was obviously deep in thought about something.

"What's wrong, Tali?" He asked, tilting his head to one side.

"I just have something on my mind..." She sighed again.

"You're thinking about what you're going to do next, aren't you?" Garrus pushed.

"Yes." Tali said sadly. "I think I am going to return to the flotilla."

"Oh. I'm... I'm very sorry to hear that." Garrus seemed quite upset. "I know the engineering crew will definitely miss you... and… um… so will I."

"Thank you." Tali bowed her head slightly in gratitude for his kindness. "I will miss you, also."

He smiled to himself, then felt a little embarrassed and decided to change the subject. "So... What did Shepard say about it?"

"I haven't spoken to her yet, but Liara assures me she will understand." She didn't sound convinced.

"I'm sure she will. And she'll certainly miss you too, no doubt about that…" He laughed. "…who else going to be able squeeze every last drop of power out of that drive core?"

"Kee-lah!" Tali exclaimed. "I almost forgot; I still have to finish off my upgrade on the Normandy!"

"Well, let's go do it now. Shore leave is almost over anyway." Garrus suggested, finishing up his meal. "I'll even help, if I can."

"To be honest, it's a one person job…" Tali shook her head. "...and it's going to take around another four hours, if not longer, but thanks for the offer."

"Well, I can probably install the new upgrade on the MAKO in that time." He looked over at the various gadgets lying in the corner of the kitchen.

"Now that sounds like a plan." Tali rose from the kitchen table.

"...and it's a good parting gift to Shepard." The turian started picking up the larger parts of their construction.

"Absolutely. It's the least I can do." The quarian agreed and started gathering the rest of the parts that littered the room.

...

Sam could tell Liara was hurt and annoyed by the tone of her voice. She frowned as her lover scowled at her. "Okay. What about?"

"What about!?" Liara's expression intensified. "The way you shut me out and leave me wondering what is going on inside that mind of yours, perhaps?"

"Oh..." Maybe some of that sensation had been because Sam also felt guilty about what she'd said before effectively storming off in a huff like she had. "Liara, love, I'm sorry for storming off." She reached for Liara's hands as she apologised.

The angry asari's expression softened as she felt Sam's gentle touch. She knew it hadn't been in malice, but she still wanted an explanation. "Why did you say...?" The words stuck in her throat. She couldn't bring herself to repeat them.

"...and I'm so sorry for the things I said." Sam looked genuinely ashamed of herself.

"But I thought..." Liara looked at the floor as she rubbed the backs of Sam's hands with her thumbs. "I thought you regretted..."

"Never! Not for a moment!" Sam butted in before Liara could finish the sentence the Spectre couldn't bare to hear. "You are the best thing to ever happen to me."

Liara did not look convinced as she shook her head. "Then why...?"

Liara's words were cut off by the slightly damp and very naked Spectre who rushed towards her and pressed their lips together in a fiery, passionate kiss. Sam held her round the waist to pull her body closer. Liara was so relieved that her worries had clearly been unfounded, that she was completely swept up in the heat of the moment. As they kissed, Sam moved her hands upwards to caress the base of the ridges on the back of her neck. Shepard raised her left thigh and wrapped her leg around Liara's hip, trying to pull their bodies as close together as possible. The asari picked the Spectre up under her buttocks and spun her round to rest her naked back against the wall, continuing the lustful display of affection up until Liara slowly began to gather her senses and withdrew from Sam's kiss. "Samantha... W-what is this all about?" She asked, trying to catch her breath and lowered Sam's feet back to the floor.

Sam knew her actions had spoken louder than her words ever could. Liara's dazed smile confirmed it.

"I'd never regret anything that brought me closer to you." She lifted Liara's chin and kissed again her softly. "I'm so sorry I made you think that."

"I knew that I felt that from you." She sounded relieved, but she still showed concern in her expression. "But it made me wonder if something had changed and I had not noticed."

"I am totally head over heels in love with you, Liara." Sam smiled and rested her forehead on the asari's. "That will never EVER change."

The asari could not disguise the relief in her expression. "You promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die." Sam said with a smile. She felt a twist in her gut as she uttered those words. Her brow furrowed slightly as she tried to put the strange sensation out of her mind again.  _It's probably just something I ate_ She thought.

"That's an awful phrase." The asari took issue with several human sayings. She hadn't yet heard that one, but she understood Sam's meaning in this context.

Sam asked with a submissive tilt of her head. "Are we ok?"

"Of course..." Liara's concern was still showing in her expression as she stroked the cheek of her mate. "But, what was it that triggered all this, my love?"

"It really doesn't matter." Sam smiled. "Everything is fine."

"Sam..." Liara scowled.

Sam knew she wasn't going to get away with glossing over this. "Well, I thought it was just the stuff with Tali and Wrex leaving…" She began to frown. "…but then I realised it was something else."

"Which is?"

"It was when I thought about something Anderson said... and about what it would mean if it happened." Shepard glossed over it. "But I don't really think I need to worry about it. Really it's fine."

"What exactly did he say?" Liara asked.

"You know I said that it's no certainty I could keep my crew..." Sam rubbed the back of her neck as she gave a little more information. "Apparently Udina is up to his usual tricks of trying to cause trouble. He wants an all human crew for the Normandy."

"I see." Liara looked concerned. She could feel the knot in her stomach tightening again. "But that would mean..."

"You couldn't be part of my crew, yes…" Sam grimaced. "...and that had obviously been playing on my mind a little, and with the others leaving…"

"Why did you not tell me about this?" Liara sighed. "Or at least say that something was bothering you?"

"I already saw how much even the thought of it upset you when we spoke about it last time." Sam brushed a thumb along Liara's jaw line. "I didn't want you to worry further."

"So there is cause to worry?" She pushed, the concern spreading across her face once more.

"No. I don't think so. I'm sure Udina won't get his way." Sam offered reassuringly. "And I know Anderson will fight it. As will I."

"So if you know this, why did it bother you?" Liara puzzled.

"I didn't know what exactly was bothering me 'til it occurred to me in the shower." Sam blushed a little. "And I know it was based in something stupid, but it made me feel..." She suddenly stopped talking and shook her head.

"It made you feel what?"

Sam's brow furrowed as she rubbed her temples. "It's just really hard for me to admit. I can't..."

"Sam..." She rested her forearms arms on the shoulders of the frowning human before her. "I've seen and felt your thoughts and memories, your dreams and nightmares. You can tell me anything. What did it make you feel?"

"Okay. You're right. I know." Shepard sighed and wrapped her arms around Liara as she tried to explain. "I'm... afraid..." She said in a hushed tone.

"Of what, my love?"

"It's stupid." Sam's chin now rested on Liara's left shoulder. "It's not going to happen. I won't let it anyway, so there's no point worrying about it."

Liara ignored Sam's attempt to rationalise her feelings and provided the reason herself. "You feel like you are losing everyone…" Liara whispered knowingly as she reciprocated the hug. "...and you worry that I am next?"

Sam was surprised at the accuracy of Liara's summary "Maybe…" Sam's voice was now muffled by the asari's neck as she nuzzled into it, holding her tighter as she spoke. "...and if I lost you... I just couldn't bear it."

"I will not be leaving you, my love." Liara answered, soothing the troubled Spectre by rubbing her hands up and down her back. "You have nothing to fear there."

Shepard was half laughing as she tightened her embrace. "I've faced so much over the years. Terrifying things. But nothing as ever scared me like the thought of losing you does."

Liara smiled and kissed Sam's cheek softly. "You are allowed to have fears, Sam."

"Yes, but no-one else usually knows about them." Sam blushed a little. Again her stomach churned.

"You can always share your fears with me in total confidence, Samantha." Liara held Shepard's right hand over her heart. "As bond mates, we share everything anyway. It is not possible to hide such things. So if you have something that bothers you..."

"...I should just talk to you about it because you are the only one who can ever really understand." Sam smiled and nodded as she finished her lover's sentence.

"Exactly." Liara ran her hands over Shepard's naked shoulders. As she did, the Spectre shivered slightly. "I think you probably should dress, my love. Before you get too cold"

"I have a better idea." Sam began to kiss down the Asari's neck. "You could warm me up..."

Liara started to feel the heat rise between them once more as their lips met and hands began to wander, tugging at Liara's clothing. "Samantha… Sam… stop..."

"Why?" Sam asked between kisses as she continued her caresses.

Liara sighed as she felt Sam's lips working across her shoulder and down her now exposed chest. "Because... you really need to talk to Tali."

"Yeah, I will... just… later." Sam tried to resist as she felt herself being slowly pushed away until her eyes met with Liara's.

"You can't put this off like avoiding the washing up." She knew Sam's tactics too well.

"Oh, but there's plenty of time." Sam pouted and rolled her eyes.

"No, Tali is really worried now. She needs to know you give your blessing to her decision." Liara explained. "It has been very difficult for her."

"Okay, you're right... again." Shepard nodded. She really didn't want to have that conversation at all, but she knew Tali needed it. "I'll get dressed and go speak to her." She picked up her towel and tossed it into the bathroom as she passed.

Liara stood watching in disbelief. "Oh... I'll clean up the bathroom after you then, shall I?" She called after her.

"Oh, yeah. Thanks." Sam shouted from the bedroom.

Liara shook her head, grumbled slightly as she picked up the soggy towels that littered the tiled floor. "It's quite easy to fold a towel and put it on the rail to dry, you know Sam!"

"I know. I'm sorry..." Sam's voice came from the next room. "I won't do it again!"

"Hmmm, I'm sure." The asari tutted to herself and continued to grumble as she wiped over the sink. She looked up and noticed the message on the mirror. Liara smiled and sighed. "Who would think the infamous Commander Shepard was such a romantic at heart?"

Sam, now dressed, poked her head round the edge of the bathroom door. "Shhh. Don't tell anyone. My reputation would be in tatters."

Liara folded the towel she was using and left the bathroom in a much tidier state. "Don't worry. Your secrets are always safe with me."

"Right, I'm going next door." Sam kissed her on the cheek and promptly left, shouting. "Love you!" just before the door closed.

Liara sat on the sofa just thinking for a while. She was very pleased that Shepard didn't regret anything, yet for some reason, the knot in her stomach did not feel any better. It concerned her because she'd expected it to subside once she found out the reason for Sam doing what she had.  _Why does it still linger?_  She wondered, frowning a little once more.

...

Garrus, now fully laden, left the kitchen, followed closely by Tali. They were on their way out when they heard "Bye then!" coming from Ashley who was just leaving her room.

"Oh, Chief... Sorry." Tali said, feeling a little guilty. "I didn't realise you were here."

"We're just going to make some adjustments to the Normandy and the MAKO." Garrus explained.

"Garrus!" Tali whispered sternly. "It was supposed to be… a surprise."

"Well it is a bit obvious what we're doing, isn't it?" Garrus defended in a hushed tone. "We're stood here holding the upgrade stuff! Which is really heavy, by the way."

"Okay... So I take it you've not got permission from the Skipper to do that..." Ashley folded her arms and raised her eyebrow. She was trying hard not to laugh at the double act in front of her.

"Uh... Not exactly." The turian squirmed, shifting the weight of the bulky construction in his arms.

"Ashley, please don't tell Shepard." Tali requested.

"Fine... But if you get caught, I knew nothing about it." Ashley smiled. "Okay?"

"Absolutely!" Tali was so relieved. "Thanks, Ashley."

"Okay. Have fun, kids!" The chief said as the two set off for the Normandy in high spirits.

Ashley grinned as a thought entered her head. _That's probably going to take them a while... So... I have the place to myself for good few hours... Hmmm…_

She wandered over to the comm and tapped on its display.

"Joker here." The pilot answered.

"Jeff, how do you fancy an evening in?" Ashley asked.

"Uh... Sounds good to me." He replied.

"How soon can you be here?" The chief smirked as the comm signal was terminated from Jokers end.

Seconds later, there was a knock at the door.

"No way!" Ashley grinned as she opened the door. "That was quick!"

"I didn't know you were expecting me." Sam replied with a raised eyebrow.

"I wasn't..." Ash looked disappointed. "I thought for a second, you were someone else"

"Let me guess... The delightful Mr Moreau?" Sam teased.

"Maybe." Ash blushed. "Uh, you wanna come in?"

"Well, I just want to see Tali." Sam was quite amused by the way Ashley was looking over her shoulder in the direction of the nearest CRT.

"She and Garrus just left a few minutes ago." She replied with slightly more glee than she was intending. "So no, she's not here."

"In that case I'll leave you to it. Wouldn't want to cramp your style now, would I?" Shepard laughed.

"I'm sorry, Skipper..." Ashley was really embarrassed now. "It's just... Y'know..."

"Last night of shore leave... I get it." Shepard started laughing. "So where did they go?"

"Who?"

"Tali and Garrus." Sam clicked her fingers in front of Ashley's face. "Keep up, Chief."

"Uh I don't really know. They were going to go do something somewhere." Ash stuttered, trying to keep her promise.

"Wow that's  _really_  helpful, Ash."

"Well I wasn't really listening." She blagged. "I was... distracted."

"Aww. You're like a lovesick puppy, you know." Sam mocked.

"Sam, don't make me hurt you." Ash grinned. "I am NOT a lovesick puppy. I'm a highly trained soldier!"

"Yes... you are..." Sam suddenly wore a more serious look on her face as something occurred to her.  _...and I'm a Commander and a Spectre..._

"I was kidding, Skipper..." Ash reassured, but Shepard seemed too distracted by her thoughts. "I wouldn't actually hit you..."

"Yeah... Yeah, I know." Sam smiled, unconvincingly. "Uh... Thanks for the pretty useless Intel, Ash. See you later."

"You sure you're ok, Sam?" Ashley was concerned by Shepard's sudden change in mood.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Have a good evening." She said as she walked away. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That doesn't leave much, Skip…" Ashley laughed and went back inside to wait for her imminent visitor.

...

"This is really heavy." Garrus whinged.

"Oh, for crying out loud, stop being such an infant." Tali said tapping her foot as they waited for the elevator to reach the dock.

"It's alright you for you. You just picked up the attachments." He persisted. "I've got the main bulk of it."

"You could have put it down while we we're in the elevators." She said smugly.

"Well... Yes I suppose I could." He tried to reposition the construction so that he could get the sensation back in his right arm. "...but then I'd have had to pick it up again."

Tali shook her head. "We're nearly there now anyway."

Eventually when the elevator arrived and the doors swished open, they headed quickly for the Normandy's airlock.

….

Sam returned to her apartment and slumped down on the couch next to Liara.

"That was a very short visit." Liara said, surprised to see Sam back so soon. "Did it not go well?"

"She wasn't there." Sam answered, a severe expression on her face.

"Then what is the reason for this?" Liara reached over and, with her thumb, rubbed at the ever deepening lines forming on Shepard's forehead. "I thought you were okay."

"Yeah. I was... I am... I was just talking to Ash when I realised…" Sam was interrupted by a chirping noise from the corner of the room.

Liara sighed as she stood to answer the comm. "Shepard/T'Soni residence. Liara speaking."

Despite Sam's current mood, she couldn't help but chuckle at the way Liara had answered like some sort of receptionist. Liara scrunched up her nose and stuck out her tongue at her giggling bond-mate.

The Human Councillor's voice came through the comm link. "Good day, Liara. This is Councillor Anderson. Could I speak with Shepard please?"

"Of course, Councillor, she's right here." Liara replied more seriously, as Sam stood and walked towards the comm.

"Shepard here."

"Shepard. I've spoken to the Brass and the Council as we discussed, and I have your new orders." He informed. "We'd like to go over them in person."

"I'll be there as soon as possible." Shepard confirmed.

"Good." He replied "Anderson, out."

"Sam?" Liara had taken her seat on the sofa and expected that Sam would rejoin her, however the Spectre disappeared off into the bedroom. "You were just about to talk to me about something?"

"Sorry… I'm just getting changed into something a little more formal." Sam shouted from the other room. She emerged moments later in her formal Navy uniform, leaned over the back of the sofa and said "I'm gonna go straight away and get this sorted."

"Surely if there is something troubling you again, there is time to talk…" Liara frowned.

"I'm just speculating again." Sam laughed it off. Inside she knew what had occurred to her was no laughing matter, but it was pointless to worry Liara at this point.

"But..."

"The sooner I get my new orders, the sooner I can stop worrying about the 'what ifs' and I'll know what I actually need to sort out... if anything." Sam kissed the top of Liara's crest. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Sam left with a wave and Liara was once more left sat wondering, and worrying, what was going on inside Sam's head.


	14. Split Personality

**Split Personality**

"Wait." Tali raised her hand just after they stepped out of the elevator. She piled the few bits she was carrying, on top of the main construction Garrus was holding.

"What!?"' He exclaimed. "Dammit, Tali... I can't carry any more!"

"Shhhhhh... Security." She pointed at the surveillance droids which hadn't yet noticed they were in the docking bay and started quickly tapping on her omni-tool.

"Oh, right…" Garrus seemed confused. "But..."

"There." She said triumphantly as the droids powered down. She picked up the items she'd added to the turian's load and walked towards the Normandy's door

"Okay..." He seemed a little worried. "Why was that necessary?" He asked as he followed her over to the ship's entrance.

"Because of this..." Tali tried to open the airlock door. "Access denied." came the electronic voice.

Having noted the  _'don't even think about it'_  expression on Garrus' face as she turned around looking for somewhere to place the gadgets she was carrying, she decided it would be best to put them on the floor this time. "Shepard said no-one was allowed on the ship for a week, so..."

"Ugh... That's it." Garrus interrupted as he carefully lowered the gear in his arms to the floor. "I can't carry it any more."

Tali laughed as he put his equipment down beside hers. She turned back to face the door and said "... we're going to have to break in," almost like it was a common everyday occurrence.

"Surely we have don't have to go that far...? We're part of her crew!" The turian frowned as he stretched his back.

Tali shook her head. "You heard it yourself. We have been denied access..."

"But... You can't just hack it!" Garrus' mandibles were flaring wildly. He'd expected they would just have access as normal. This was breaking the law!

"Well, Shepard must have put in an extra level of security on the lock. So she's probably the only one who has access at the moment" Tali set to, tapping at her omni-tool again. "Hacking is the only way."

Just a few moments later, a voice said. "Access Granted"

"Wow, Tali... That was quick!" he sounded impressed, despite the fact that his inner C-Sec officer was having real trouble dealing with all this.

"Of course" She picked up some parts and entered the Normandy's decontamination chamber. "You coming or not?"

He sighed. "Yes, well, since we've already broken in...I guess all that's left to do is enter..." He didn't feel right about this and his face wasn't doing a good job of hiding that fact.

"Garrus, you are not the C-Sec officer you once were..." She laughed.

"No... I suppose I'm not." He muttered under his breath, unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Now... Come on... We've got work to do." She ordered.

"Yes ma'am." He said mockingly. "You do realise that when we get arrested, I'll be blaming this all on you...?" He smiled at her as the decontamination field did it's stuff.

"And when Shepard is really pleased with our upgrades, will you be as generous with the credit?" She mocked back.

"I suppose we'll just have to see, won't we...?"

They entered Normandy, made their way to the back of the deserted CIC and down the stairs. Garrus grumbled the whole time about not finding the stairs particularly easy since his view was being almost entirely obscured by the upgrade. Tali however, nimbly ran down the stairs and opened up the lift ready for her grumpy companion.

…..

"You wished to see me, Ma'am." Joker grinned at Ashley when she opened the door.

"Indeed I did... I have a small request." She said stepping to the side as she gestured for him to come in.

"I swear, if it's to open a jar, I'm not only a poor choice…" He smiled as he entered. "...but I'm gonna be really disappointed too."

"Oh, I don't think there will be any disappointments." She wrapped her arms around his neck and softly kissed him.

"Oh..." He raised his eyebrows. He couldn't stop his wonky grin spreading across his face. "Good, I was hoping it'd be  _that_  kind of request."

"Well it is the last night..." Ash said seductively. "...and Tali won't be back for hours."

"Well... No time to waste, then." He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her into another kiss as the door closed behind them.

...

When they eventually reached the cargo hold, Tali set down all the parts she had been holding, on the floor next to the MAKO. So too did the turian who could no longer feel the digits on either hand.

"Right, just yell if you need me." Tali offered.

"I'll be fine… but, thanks." Nodded Garrus before turning to make a start.

"And Garrus..." Tali added just before she walked through the door to the drive core. "It's been a pleasure to work with you."

"The pleasure was all mine." the turian bowed his head. "This week wouldn't have been anywhere near as much fun without you."

Tali laughed. "Shepard would never understand us finding this fun."

"Everyone has their own way of looking at things." Garrus smiled. "Just because ours is usually with an omni-tool, doesn't make it wrong."

"Exactly!" Tali shouted as she wandered off, trying to remember where she'd left off.

She could just hear some clunking and banging coming from the cargo hold as she stood staring at the core. She was really going to miss the Normandy.

...

As she walked towards the embassy from the CRT, Shepard was deep in thought. She had a very stern expression, which she had worn ever since leaving her apartment. Having had her chat with Ashley, she now understood the true origins of the inner turmoil she'd felt earlier.

She had come to the realisation that the sensation she was feeling was not purely about losing Liara. It was actually about the conflicting emotions of the two people she now was.

Firstly, she was Commander Shepard; Alliance Officer, first human Spectre and 'Saviour of the Citadel'. Commander Shepard was loyal to her crew and dedicated to her cause. She would always do anything to complete her mission, even to the point of giving her own life.

But now there was also Samantha Shepard. Sam was totally in love with a beautiful asari named Liara who she wanted to spend the rest of her days with. She would do anything for Liara because she meant more to her than anything else in the galaxy.

Shepard had always put her  _missions_  above everything else. A Commander like her would never allow personal issues to jeopardise her missions. Luckily so far, her relationship with Liara had been compatible with the mission, so these two very different people could coexist quite happily within her. However now, if it came down to her having to make a choice between her mission and her love... that was no longer simple. It could no longer just be 'Mission takes priority over everything'. She would always have paid the ultimate price for her mission... But now she would also give her life to save Liara. What if they came to a position where those two factors were in conflict? She no longer knew what she would do. For a Commander of her status, this was troubling.

That would be during a mission though, and she still didn't have a clue if this would even be an issue.  _One thing at a time, Sam. Find out first, worry later._ She thought to herself.

Shepard took a deep breath, trying to get back into Commander mode before entering the Embassy.

She entered the office to find Anderson talking with Admiral Hackett.

"Ah, Shepard." The Councilor greeted her. "You know Admiral Hackett."

"Admiral. Captain." Shepard stood to attention and saluted to them both.

Hackett saluted back. "At ease, Commander."

"Thank you, Sir." Shepard nodded and stood at military rest.

"Please, take a seat." Anderson gestured to both of them to sit in the chairs by his desk.

"You have done us proud, Shepard." The Admiral said as he sat down. "Your actions have earned the human race it's place in this galaxy, and amongst the council races."

"Just doing my job, Sir."

He laughed. "And a damn good job it was too."

Shepard felt herself blushing, so she tried to change the subject. "If you don't mind me asking, Admiral, Sir..." Shepard started cautiously. "What are you doing here on the Citadel?"

"My ship required some repairs after the battle, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to thank the 'Saviour of the Citadel' in person." He stated honestly.

Shepard couldn't help but smile a little in return. Whilst she was surprised to find Admiral Hackett at this meeting, she was even more shocked to get his  _thanks_. She replied solemnly. "I'm sorry for the losses your fleet sustained." Her expression reflecting the sincerity of her words.

"I know it must have been a tough choice to make." Hackett looked very serious for a moment. "...but I think it was the correct decision. If I'd been in your shoes, I would have done the same."

Shepard nodded respectfully. "That means a lot, Sir. Thank you." She certainly wasn't expecting that kind of endorsement from a man who lost a lot of good ships and officers because of her decision.

"Now... You're probably wondering about your new orders." Anderson brought their attention back to the matter in hand. "As we'd anticipated, Udina shared his views about your crew with the Alliance brass..."

Shepard gulped slightly more openly than she'd intended.

Hackett started chuckling. "Don't worry, Commander. They told him straight away that the notion was not only ridiculous, but totally inappropriate for the situation."

"Oh?" Sam was trying hard to hide her glee. "But... I thought, as Ambassador, they would have listened to his views."

"There was no way that kind of request could go through." Anderson added. "We're trying to build allegiances here, not ostracise ourselves from the rest of the species in the galaxy."

"Absolutely." Hackett seconded. "Besides, the Normandy itself was a joint Human/turian venture. It makes total sense to have an 'all inclusive' crew. Plus you and your team have already showed how well that can work." He nodded at her, his face showing a wide smile. She was pleased and also a little stunned to receive praise from such a high-ranking officer.

"Well, I have to admit, I am very pleased to hear he was unsuccessful." She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Sir"

"Oddly enough, it's probably Udina's old-fashioned views that helped the most." The Councilor started to smirk. "It was his xenophobic opinions that highlighted just how far we've come since the majority of people had views like his."

"Yes. It showed him in his true colours..." Hackett smiled. "I think they may even consider suggesting to the leaders of Earth that they should re-evaluate his position as an Ambassador here."

"Indeed. While he is fully competent at the political side of the role, this latest display of his right-wing views have made it quite clear that his own personal biases have an impact on his ability to do his job." Anderson now wore a large grin as he spoke.

They all sat there for a moment wearing slightly smug expressions.  _Well, that's one less thing for me to worry about._ Sam thought.

"In light of this, The Brass have decided that, whilst the Normandy's crew are still Alliance officers, they will remain  _your_  crew and thus are fully under your command." The Councilor explained. "As long as you are happy with the current personnel."

"Thank you, Sir. I have come to trust all of the members of my crew." The grinning Spectre said. "I am more than happy with the current personnel."

"They have also officially handed the Normandy over to you to aid you in your role as first human Spectre" Hackett added. "You are free to run her however you see fit."

"The Alliance respects your judgment as both a Spectre and an officer." Anderson's words held an air of pride about them.

"Of course, there might be the odd favour we need to ask of you… should you be in the right place at the right time." The Admiral chimed in with a knowing smile.

"I'm sure you know I'd be happy to oblige." She beamed as she lost herself momentarily to her thoughts.  _I don't have to get a new crew... The Normandy is mine... Liara will be with me... And Udina might be out of a job... Course I'll help out on occasion._ She couldn't believe how well this was going. She still felt the occasional twist in her gut, but she could no doubt put that down to nerves in this situation.

"So you are in agreement so far?" Anderson had to ask.

"Absolutely." Sam nodded. Trying to contain her joy, when really she just wanted to run home and tell her beloved the good news.

"Now... Your mission." Anderson said slightly more seriously.

 _Oh yeah... I almost forgot about that._  She thought to herself as she mirrored the Councilors expression. "Yes, Sir."

"If you don't mind, Councilor, since we've covered the news from the Alliance, I have some other business to attend to." The Admiral stood and saluted. "It has been a pleasure, Commander."

Sam stood and saluted back. "Thank you for your time, Admiral."

"I'll no doubt be in touch." He smiled and strode out of the office. As the door closed, Shepard took her seat once more.

"Right. Down to business." Anderson leaned forwards, resting his elbows on the desk. "As a Spectre, it's over to the council to provide you with your mission."

Shepard felt she could now speak freely since the Admiral was no longer present; she'd always had a very relaxed and open dialogue with Captain Anderson. "Why do I get the feeling that this is not going to be good news?"

"They're sending you to the Terminus systems." He looked concerned

"Right...?" She simply looked puzzled as to where this was going. "…strange place to start gathering intel on the Reapers…"

Anderson winced as he spoke quickly. "They just want you to rid the galaxy of the remaining Geth..."

"The Geth!?" She was shocked. She wasn't expecting that as her main mission. "But what about the Reapers? They know there are more coming"

"Actually, they are sticking to the 'rogue Spectre' story. They won't admit Saren's 'very powerful ship which nearly destroyed the Citadel', was really a sentient machine…" He elaborated. "...and they certainly won't admit that there could be more of them."

"But we know there are! We know they destroyed the Protheans!" Sam started to raise her voice. "And we know they're coming back again... that's how the cycle works. I've seen it all."

"I know, I know. I tried to make them take the Reaper threat seriously." He shook his head. "But they still think it was just Saren and the Geth. And since Saren is already dead by your hand..."

"The only threat left is the Geth?" Sam snapped back; her voice thick with anger, disbelief and more than a hint of sarcasm. "...and when they've been eradicated, then everyone can just get back to normal?"

"That's the way they view it, yes." The councilor turned and leaned back in his chair.

"How can they ignore this? They're putting the whole galaxy at risk!" Shepard could hardly believe what she was hearing. "We have to be prepared for their return."

"I know... But  _this_  is your mission." He leaned forward resting on his desk and clasped his hands together just under his chin.

A furious Shepard was just about to speak when he raised his hand to silence her. "However... it's over to you how you decide to go about completing that mission." He smiled and gave a wink.

She closed her mouth and frowned, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

He rolled his eyes and said in a hushed tone as he leaned further forward. "So if, during your eradication of the Geth, you happen to find tangible evidence of the oncoming reaper attack... maybe whilst eradicating the Geth you already  _know_  are present Ilos, perhaps…"

"Then maybe they will take it more seriously." She smiled back.

"Exactly" he said with a nod.

"I see." She sighed and slumped back in her seat. "I'm still not happy though. They should trust my word on this. Searching for evidence will only be wasting time." Her frown deepened. "And we don't have an abundance of time."

"I understand your frustration, Shepard." He stood and walked round the desk. "But if anyone can find what is needed to prove the threat is real, it's you." He rested a hand on her shoulder in an almost fatherly manner.

"Thank you, Councilor." She stood and sighed. "Nothing's ever straight forward, is it?"

"Unfortunately not." He laughed, dropping his hand back down to his side. "Then again, it wouldn't be any fun if it was, now would it?"

"Very true" She said as they both walked towards the door.

"Good luck, Shepard." He nodded. "I'll be here if you need me."

"Thanks." She smiled as she left the room and headed down the stairs.  _Could have been much worse._ She thought, heading straight for the CRT, but as she passed the reception desk, the asari at the post called after her.

"Commander Shepard"

"Yes?" she replied, turning on her heels.

"I have a message for you from C-Sec. Apparently their surveillance cameras captured someone breaking into your ship a little while ago."

"Oh... Have they arrested them?"

"They said that once the perpetrators entered the ship, the officer's couldn't enter without your permission... Something about a Spectre's ship being outside their jurisdiction."

"Always a down side." She muttered to herself. "Okay... I'll head down to C-Sec then."

"They said they'd be waiting for you by your ship, Commander." She smiled softly as she relayed the message sent by one of the C-Sec officers on the scene.

"Right, thanks..." Shepard sighed. _Guess I won't be going home just get then._  She grumbled to herself in her mind as she headed down the ramp to the C-Sec headquarters to get the elevator to the docking bay.

...

"Oh, come on, Liara. It is futile to spend any more time worrying about unknown possibilities." The young asari tried to convince herself that this was true, despite the fact that she felt like someone opened up a singularity in her stomach.

"Samantha will be home, with answers, soon enough." She sighed and mumbled to herself.

Of course she had no idea if she would be bringing good or bad news with those answers, but either way, this was their last night of shore leave and their last night together in the apartment they had come to call 'home'. This should be an evening to remember.

Before she had time to think about what she was doing, she'd gone over to the corner of the lounge and tapped on the display of the comm unit. "Staff Commander Shepard, please." Liara spoke into it clearly.

There was a few seconds of silence until a familiar voice said "Shepard speaking."

"G-good day, Staff Commander." Liara stuttered, now regretting impulsively making the call. "It's Liara... uh... T'Soni... We s-spoke a few days ago..."

"Hello, Liara, my dear." The officer laughed briefly. "Did you really think I wouldn't remember you?"

"Oh...no... I-I just didn't want to... to assume..." Liara sounded really nervous and the elder Shepard picked up on that immediately.

"Whatever is the matter, Liara? Is everything alright?" Hannah was now quite concerned.

"Oh, no...!" Liara suddenly realised how this must seem to Sam's mother. "...I mean, yes... I mean, there's nothing wrong... at all."

"Okay... Well, I don't usually take personal calls whilst on duty..." She was interrupted before she could finish.

"Oh...? Oh! I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking!" Liara was mortified. "I'm really sorry to have bothered you. Please, don't worry. I can sort it out myself."

"It's okay, Liara" the Human tried to reassure her. "I was going to say that I'm sure I can afford a few minutes to talk to my future daughter-in-law!" She said cheerily.

"Thank you." She stood, one hand on her right hip, her left rubbing her forehead. She still felt terribly embarrassed despite how nice Hannah had been.

"So, what can I do for you?" Hannah asked.

"... This just sounds so silly now!" Liara shook her head, realising just how ridiculous her reason for calling was.

"Liara, dear, take a deep breath and talk to me." Hannah instructed firmly yet kindly.

Liara did as she was told "Well... It's about Sam."

"What's she done now?" The Staff Commander asked slightly more sternly than she'd intended.

"Oh, no… Nothing!" Liara couldn't help but find the elder Shepard's instant suspicion of her daughter somewhat amusing. "I just needed some… information."

"Ah, I see..." The elder Shepard laughed again. Liara noted how similar she sounded to Sam when she laughed, even though their speaking voices differed greatly. "Go on, dear."

"It's just that it's the last night of shore leave..." She paused for a moment; this was hard for her to say out loud. "You see... we don't even know if her next mission will be one I can... assist with... so…"

"You wanted to know what you could do to make it special for Sam, in case she has to leave you tomorrow…" Hannah finished off her sentence in such a way that implied she was familiar with the situation herself.

Liara took a deep breath. Hearing her thoughts said by another made her shiver slightly. "Yes. I wanted to give her a gift that would make her happy. So her last thought of me... as we part... would be..." Liara's words trailed off.

"Awww, that's really thoughtful, Liara." Hannah felt glad her daughter had someone who cared for her so much.

"I just want her to know that even if we're… apart..." Liara's voice cracked again as her mouth started to turn down slightly at the corners. "I-I am  _always_  with her."

"I hope Sam appreciates you." Liara couldn't help but smile and blush slightly at Hannah's words. "Right... Um... Let me think..." Hannah cleared the lump that was forming in her throat.

"I just wondered if there was maybe something that made her particularly happy as a child?" The young asari added, managing to gather herself long enough to form an entire sentence.

"Ooh, I know!" The elder Shepard sounded gleeful. "She used to have a collection of model ships when she was a kid. She was totally obsessed with them! She used to take so much care over building and painting them. On the rare occasions I actually saw Sam smile during her early teens, she was usually working on one of those!"

"Oh, that's fantastic. There must be places that sell models, here on the Citadel" Liara smiled. "Thank you so much!"

"Anytime, Liara. It was really nice to hear from you again." Hannah laughed. "Was there anything else?"

"No, I think that is all." Liara smiled. "I best let you get back to your duty, Staff-Commander. Thanks again"

"Ok, take care now." She replied through the comm.. "And call me Hannah, please. Hopefully next shore leave I'll be able to meet you in person!"

"I hope so too, Hannah." Liara reached to terminate the call. "Fare well."

Liara's heart was much lighter now. She decided she would head off to the wards of the Citadel to do some shopping. Hopefully she would be back before Sam returned.

…..

"Ah, Commander." Shepard was greeted by a turian C-Sec officer as she stepped out of the elevator. "We have been told that the perpetrators entered around 5 hours ago."

"5 hours ago?" Shepard was taken aback. "So, why am I only finding out about this now?"

"Well, we didn't know 'til about an hour ago" He said, clearing his throat. "Someone was checking over the surveillance footage of the docks and noticed them…"

"So… who were they?" Sam began rubbing her temples – she was getting a headache.

"Well, we had a few… uh… technical glitches, and we just got the droids back up and running. We only caught a couple of seconds of footage as they entered the dock area… then it crashed." Said another C-Sec officer as she approached.

"So, any ideas at all?"

"Well, we only saw them from the back… " The human female officer answered. "but we think it was a turian and possibly a quarian…"

"Oh…" Shepard smiled and shook her head. "Right, I can deal with this"

"Are you sure?" Asked the turian officer. "We can provide reinforcements and back-up for you."

"I don't think I'll be needing it, thanks." Sam started walking towards the airlock door. "Thanks for your help, guys."

The officers watched as the commander wandered into the airlock, looking totally un-phased. They looked at each other and shrugged "If a Spectre says she can deal with it, who are we to argue!?" They turned and walked back to the elevator doors.

…

Tali left the engine room and walked up to the MAKO.

As she neared, she saw Garrus' feet sticking out from underneath. "How's it going?" she asked.

There was a loud bang just before the turian rolled himself out. "Fine... Aside from the minor head injury I just sustained." He rubbed his forehead as he got up. "I think she's just about finished."

"It's a shame we can't test our work in here." Tali sighed. "I know we know it will work, but it's not the same as seeing it first hand."

"Oh no... No way." Garrus shook his head. "Shepard would definitely kill us for that."

"I know. I was only teasing." Tali nudged him with her shoulder. "You're so easy to wind up... I think I'll miss that most of all."

"Thanks... I think that's the strangest back-handed compliment I've ever received." He laughed and put his arm around her shoulders. "I wish you didn't have to go."

The quarian turned and hugged Garrus properly. "Me too... I feel like this is where I should be. But I cannot abandon my people."

"Well, you better come back to see us." He squeezed her gently then let her go.

"I promise to visit as often as I possibly can." She said sincerely. "And we must keep in touch. You can tell me all about the crazy ideas the commander has."

"I'm sure there will be plenty to tell you about." He chuckled and turned back to his display and tapped on it a couple of times. "There, I'm all done."

"Me too. The drive core is now over three percent more efficient." Inside her helmet she was smiling. She was very pleased to have been able to make a difference to the Normandy even if she wouldn't be around to see it in action.

"Ok, so that took us a little longer than expected…" Garrus said as he tidied up. "...and I'm feeling a little hungry."

"Well, lets go and get something to eat then head back to the apartment." Tali started laughing. "I think we should avoid anywhere where you might be inclined to start dancing, though."

"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" He said, mandibles flaring slightly.

"Nope!" Tali continued laughing as she took hold of his arm and led him to the elevator. "Come on, we've done all we can do here"

As they approached, the elevator doors opened. "I knew it!" Shepard said, folding her arms across her chest. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?"


	15. Discount comes at a price

**Discount comes at a price**

Joker lay in Ashley's bed grinning smugly to himself. He could just feel the air tickle the downy hair on his chest as she expelled slow, shallow breaths as she slept. He cradled her head in the dip of his left shoulder, holding her close by wrapping his arm around her body. The weight of her left arm felt like it was slowly crushing his ribs as it rested across his lower chest and abdomen, and her leg, intertwined with his, felt like they were bending his knee backwards. Despite the near excruciating pain, it was possibly the most comfortable he'd ever been in his life and he'd never been happier.

He took a deep, contented breath and released it. Unfortunately the movement of his rising chest was enough to disturb the sleeping beauty in his arms.

"Wha...?" she murmured.

"Shhhh. It's okay." He stroked her sweat soaked hair away from her face. "Go back to sleep."

"Jeff..?" She sat up with a start, fortunately for him, she pushed up from the bed instead of from his body. "Why did you let me fall asleep?" The Chief yawned as she spoke.

"I didn't have the heart to wake you. You're just so beautiful when you're sleeping..." He smiled his wonky smile. "...and quiet."

"You always have to go and spoil it, don't you?" She grinned as she prodded him in the stomach playfully, then swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Ahhh, it's all part of my charm."

"Yeah... It makes you totally irresistible." She glanced over her shoulder as he sat up behind her.

"Obviously. 'cause you sure can't resist me." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and began kissing her neck and shoulders. "The last few hours proved that."

"Mmmm, that's true." She said as she snuggled into his embrace, enjoying the unusual sensation of feeling safe, despite being unarmed.  _I could get used to this._  She thought as she savoured the feeling of his lips on her skin. "And by the way... I don't think you're as delicate as you like to think..."

"What d'ya mean?" He shuffled round to sit next to her.

"Just something Skipper said when she found out I broke your leg on our date." She laughed. "Just kinda got me worried that if it went further I might..."

"Break me?" He interrupted with a smirk. "Nah... Nothing a bit of medi-gel won't fix." He winked.

"I didn't... No, please tell me I didn't break anything else!" Ash looked genuinely concerned.

"Course not..." He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "You were very gentle." Ash frowned, looking like she couldn't decide whether to feel relieved or hurt about that and was just about to speak, when he quickly pressed his finger to her lips and softly said "Not too gentle... but gentle enough." He didn't want to mention the fact that his whole body was killing him.  _Totally worth every ache, bruise, dislocation and fracture._

"Good..." she smiled and stared into his green eyes. "I'm glad it way okay."

"Okay?" Joker faked a hurt look "Ash, it was more than 'Okay'! I was freakin' awesome!"

She couldn't help but laugh as she slowly shook her head in disbelief. "Typical. Always going on about how 'awesome' you are."

"Well to be fair, you weren't bad either."

"Gee, thanks..." She couldn't help but joke back. "It just was a shame your 'navigation' was a little off at times..."

"It was not!" He said defensively, looking hurt and slightly embarrassed.

She was properly laughing now. "Ahhhh, Jeff... Who knew you were so easy to wind up!"

"So... No disappointments then?" He asked just before his words were cut off by Ashley pressing her lips against his.

"Hell, no!" She murmured between kisses as she slowly pushed him back onto the bed.

Then came a chime, indicating that they had company at the front door. "Damn it." She rolled her eyes.

"Ignore it." Joker said quickly, not wanting to spoil the moment.

Ashley sighed "It's probably Tali. I bet she forgot her keycard."

"She'll just hack the lock if she's done that." Joker pointed out, trying desperately to pull Ash back towards him.

"True..." Ashley returned her attention to kissing her lover.

Again, the noise rang out from the front door; the chime seeming more persistent, this time.

"Oh for crying out loud!" the Chief said, rising from the bed.

Jeff tried to stop Ashley from getting up, but she soon wriggled out of his grip.

"Back in a minute." She swiped away the bed sheet that covered his modesty and wrapped it around herself instead. She smirked at him lying there in the nude. "Just... hold that thought!"

"Whoever it is, tell 'em I hate 'em!" He called after her as she left her room and headed for the entrance.  _This better be good._

...

As Liara headed to the CRT, she realised it would be rude to go shopping and not see if her neighbour would like to join her.

She went next door and pressed the button next to the door.

She waited... Nothing.

 _That's odd… I thought Sam said Ashley was home._ The Asari looked puzzled and pressed the button a little longer this time.

As she waited, she checked the time.  _By the Goddess, that was hours ago, though!_ She was surprised how long she must have sat contemplating her current situation.  _She must have gone out._

Just then, the door swished partly open to reveal the head a very grumpy looking Ashley peeking round the edge of the entrance. "Liara? What's wrong?" She asked, her expression turning to concern upon seeing the Asari.

"Nothing." Liara smiled. "I was just going shopping and thought it would be rude not to ask if you'd like to join me."

"Oh... Uh no, thanks." Ashley stepped into view. "I have... company." The Chief smiled cheekily.

"Oh?" Liara was just about to ask why she was only wearing a bed sheet if she had company, when her eyes widened. "Oh! Um... I'm sorry..." She began to blush.

"It's okay. Thanks for asking though." Ashley smiled. "Usually, I'd always be up for a shopping trip."

"I'll just let you get back to what you were doing..." She looked around sheepishly, her cheeks turning a slightly darker violet. "...I mean... Who you were... I mean..."  _Just stop talking Liara._ She mentally chastised herself.

The chief was laughing at the awkward young Asari before her. "I'll just see you later, okay?" She offered with a grin.

"Yes, Ashley." Liara nodded and turned to walk away.

Ashley called after her. "Actually, while you're there, if you see one of those 'I saved the Citadel and all I got was this lousy T-Shirt' t-shirts, would you get me one, please?. A guy's one though."

"Yes, of course" Liara said looking a little confused.

"Thanks, Li." Ash smiled. Before Liara could question the choice in size, the chief disappeared from sight as the door closed again.

 _Maybe she wants a large one to sleep in._ She thought, shrugged and continued on her way to the CRT.

...

"Shepard?!" Tali was surprised to see the commander and was now beginning to panic a little. She was hoping she wouldn't be around when Sam found out what they'd done. "What are you doing here?"

"What am  _I_ doing here?" Shepard laughed a short sharp laugh then returned to her scowl. "It's  _my_  ship! Which  _you_  broke into!"

"Ah. Well, yes, of course... But we  _had_  to break in!" The quarian tried to justify her actions. "It wouldn't allow us access."

"That's because I  _locked_  it so that it would only grant access to  _me_!" Sam began rubbing her temples.

"Why?" Tali spoke before thinking.

"It's called 'security', Tali." Sam said sarcasm dripping from every syllable. "It's quite useful on a big, deserted ship when you're leaving it parked for seven days!"

"Yes, I understand that Commander, but why restrict crew access?" Tali wished she could just stop herself from talking, but her brain just seemed to be on auto-pilot.

"Why?  _Why_?! To stop  _you_  doing something like this!" Shepard explained, waving her arms around emphatically towards the MAKO. "Because I didn't want anyone on my crew wasting their shore leave, working!"

"Wait a minute…" Garrus finally spoke up. He looked confused and worried. "How did you know we were here?"

Shepard's expression was now  _very_  stern as she stepped out of the lift and wandered towards the combat vehicle. "I was informed by the C-Sec officers that have been in the docking bay for the last couple of hours, waiting for you to exit the Normandy." Shepard still had her arms folded as she leaned back against the side of the newly modified machine.

"What?" Tali couldn't believe it. "But I disabled the security drones. How could they know?"

"It was the drones being disabled that alerted them to the fact that something was wrong." Shepard glared at the pair in front of her. "Oddly enough, when they checked the recordings just before they went offline, they captured a shot of a suspicious looking duo in the area."

"See... I said you shouldn't have done that." Garrus whispered to his partner in crime.

"...and when they said it was a quarian and a turian..." Shepard was trying to do her best 'disappointed' look as she shook her head. "I didn't even need to see the footage to guess it was you two."

"Oh..." Tali was glad she could hide her embarrassment and disappointment behind her mask.  _Kee-lah, I thought I had been fast enough._

"'That's all you can say? 'Oh'...? You have no idea how much trouble you're in!" She exclaimed, trying to maintain her stern expression. "They're waiting up there to arrest you."

There were a few seconds where the pair said nothing. They just sheepishly looked at Shepard then glanced at each other, then back at Shepard again.

"Well?" The commander broke the awkward silence, stepping away from the vehicle and began pacing. "What have you got to say for yourselves?"

Garrus shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, mandibles flaring. He now couldn't bring himself to look at either of his crew mates; instead he just stared at the floor and said "It was all Tali's idea!"

"Garrus!?" Tali turned on the turian and batted his shoulder with her hand. She wished she could have reached his head.

"What? It was!" He defended.

"Actually it was  _your_  suggestion in the first place." She snapped back

"It was not!" Garrus placed his hands on his hips as he turned to face the quarian.

"Yes it was! In the kitchen." Tali said, jabbing a finger into his chest plate.

"Oh..." the turian's body language changed to a more defensive posture, as he realised she was actually right about that. "Well, it wasn't my idea to break in!"

"What else was I to do?" Tali threw her arms up in a questioning gesture. "You'd been whining for ages, about having to carry the heavy stuff."

"It  _was_  heavy..."

"That's why I wasn't about to say 'oh dear, we will have to go back', after having my ears bent the whole way here." Tali was now the one with hands on hips.

"You can't blame me for that." He returned to his former stance so he was now mirroring the quarian's actions. "We could have left them in the dock."

"'And let them get stolen!?" Tali, although she was much shorter than Garrus squared up to him. "We did not work so hard on that to just leave it unguarded."

"It wouldn't have been unguarded if you hadn't hacked the security drones." He said looking down at the angry quarian. "...and now thanks to you we're going to be arrested!"

They were so busy bickering that it was some time before either of them noticed the fact that Sam was close to hysterics as she steadied herself against the side of the MAKO once more.

Both turned "What!?"

"You two! You're just priceless!" She gasped between laughs.

"Why is the prospect of our arrest so funny, Commander?" Tali asked. "The fleet will be so disappointed in me."

"Oh, Spirits!" Garrus looked mortified. "My father is going to be furious!"

"It's okay... Calm down guys." Shepard decided they'd been tortured enough. "I was just joking around."

Garrus asked. "You were just 'joking'?". His expression showed his relief, coupled with a mild dose of anger.

"What!? You weren't serious?" Tali was outraged. "Why would you do such a thing?!"

"Sorry, I just couldn't resist." Sam grinned wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "When I found out what you were up to..."

"So,  _Ashley_  told you!?" The turian interrupted, jumping to conclusions.

"Wait... Ash knew!?" Shepard was taken aback by that.

"Um... No?" Garrus tried to undo his mistake.

"Nicely done, Garrus." Tali whispered, shaking her head.

"Well I didn't know." He said in as much of a hushed tone as a turian could manage. "I thought it made sense."

Shepard narrowed her eyes. "I'm gonna kill her!"

"It's not her fault. We made her promise she wouldn't tell." Tali tried to explain. "Please don't be mad at her."

Shepard still looked angry.

Garrus tried to steer the conversation, or more accurately the inquest it had now turned into, down a different path. "So... Uh... who  _did_ tell you?"

"C-Sec." Shepard replied.

"But you said..." the young quarian was confused.

"No, that part was all true. They  _were_  waiting to arrest you... So I sent them away."

"Thank you, Commander." Tali bowed her head slightly.

"But, C-Sec or no, you're still not supposed to be here... And you  _did_  break in." Shepard's grin returned. "So... I thought I'd have a bit of fun teaching you a lesson."

"Humans have a strange sense of what is funny." Tali whispered to Garrus.

"I think it's just Shepard." he replied.

"So? Was it worth a potential criminal record?" Sam turned to look at the MAKO. "She doesn't look so different."

"Oh, she is, Commander" Garrus smiled proudly. "The MAKO is now much more maneuverable."

Tali added. "Just wait til you try her out on your next ground-side assignment."

"'Hell to that, let's fire her up now!" Shepard said as she climbed up the side to get in.

"Commander!? You can't be serious?!" Tali sounded worried. "Is this another one of your jokes?"

"Oh, stop worrying, Tali." Sam said, opening the hatch. "It'll be fine."

Garrus protested. "You really don't need to test..."

Shepard's head poked out of the hatch. "Garrus, it's not that I don't trust your handy work... I just don't want to have to get used to an essentially new combat vehicle whilst being in a combat situation." Her head disappeared back inside.

"She's crazy." Garrus grinned, looking down at Tali.

"She really is."

"I heard that." Shepard's voice called from inside. "You two coming or what?"

Shepard's answer came in the form of a scrambling noise on the outside of the MAKO.

"All aboard!" Shepard grinned as Garrus closed the hatch. "Now... Let's see what this baby can do!"

...

Ashley returned to the bedroom to find that Jeff had fallen asleep this time. She stood at the doorway, watching as he slumbered peacefully.

"That's kinda creepy, y'know." He said with his eyes still shut.

Ashley was startled by his words. "Jeez, Jeff, I thought you were asleep."

"Hence the 'creepy' part." He opened his eyes as he spoke. "Especially since I'm like totally naked here, what with you stealing the sheets and all."

"I wasn't going to answer the door naked." Ashley replied, casting the sheet over him. "There, that better?"

"It will be once you get back in." He grinned cheekily.

Ashley climbed back onto the bed and covered herself over.

"So, who was it?" He asked. "Tali, or one of those Hanar trying to tell you how brilliant 'the enkindlers' are?"

She laughed. "No, it was Liara, asking if I wanted to go shopping."

"Oh..." Jeff smiled. "What'd you tell her."

"That I was busy." she turned and kissed him. "At least I hope to be..."

There was a burst of giggling as Jeff threw the covers over their heads.

...

Shepard stepped out of the airlock first. "We tell no-one what we just did in there, okay?" She said, turning to face her two companions.

"Yes, Commander." They both said in unison.

"Good." Shepard grinned.

Whilst Tali made sure the door was secured again, Shepard grabbed a quick word with Garrus. "I need to have a little chat with Tali. Would you mind leaving us to it for a bit."

"Of course, Commander." He knew how nervous Tali had been about talking to Shepard. "Just... Be gentle with her."

"I will." Shepard smiled. "Don't worry". Garrus' softer side sometimes surprised Sam. However, she'd seen the two becoming closer as they worked together. It was evident that he cared for Tali greatly.  _He's gonna really miss her too_. She thought as they all headed towards the elevator.

Shepard took hold of Tali's arm stopping her from entering. "We'll get the next one, Garrus."

Garrus stepped in and turned around. "I'll meet you back at your apartment, Tali." He nodded as he activated the elevator.

The doors swished shut, leaving the two females stood waiting for the next elevator.

Shepard guided Tali over to the railings and leaned her weight on them. "I was hoping we could talk."

"So was I, Commander. I need to tell you something." Tali was grateful Sam had instigated the conversation. "It's not an easy thing to tell you..."

"It's okay. I understand. You need to return to the flotilla." Sam was trying to make it as easy and painless as possible.

"Yes... I-I am sorry." Tali sounded so sad. "I am really torn by the decision..."

"I know." Sam turned round to the young quarian and gathered her into her arms.

"I don't want to leave the Normandy…" Tali sniffed. "but… I have a responsibility to my people". Shepard could feel Tali shaking as she sobbed.

"Shhhhh... It's alright." Sam reassured her, wishing she could wipe away the poor girl's tears. "Just remember... There will always be a place for you on my ship."

"Thank you, Commander." Tali squeezed Sam then relinquished her hold as she stepped back. "You don't know how much that means to me."

"You are, and always will be, part of my crew." Sam rested a hand on Tali's shoulder. "But more than that, you're my friend."

"Don't, you'll set me off again." Tali grasped the Commander's arm.

"...I'm really gonna miss you, Tali'Zorah" Shepard smiled.

"That's done it." She started sniffling again as she hugged her friend once more. "I'm going to miss you, Sam. And I promise I will keep in touch."

"You better." Shepard started to feel her eyes well up so she quickly sniffed back the tears and said as they parted. "Now, where the hell is that lift!?"

...

As Garrus wandered past the Embassy on his way up to the CRT, he saw Liara talking to the receptionist.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot divulge that information." The receptionist said with a false smile.

"Ok, can you tell me if Councilor Anderson is available" Liara asked, taking a different route from her previous line of questioning.

"He is not currently available." The Asari receptionist smiled again. "Would you like to make an appointment?"

"No, I would not." Liara was getting really frustrated.

Garrus walked up behind her and said "Liara? What's going on?"

"Ugh... This receptionist is refusing to tell me if Commander Shepard is out of her meeting with Councilor Anderson" She glared at the smug Asari behind the desk.

"She is." Garrus smiled. "She's talking to Tali outside the Normandy, in the docking bay."

"Oh, thank you." Liara turned to the receptionist and gave her the most piercing look she could muster. "Finally, some straight answers."

"Have a nice day." The smug Asari nodded with another fake smile.

Garrus felt he had to steer Liara away. He'd heard about how she'd punched that guy at Flux, and didn't want her to do something she'd regret. "So, why are you looking for Shepard?"

"I was just hoping to find out if she was still in her meeting." Liara answered as they both walked towards the CRT. "I have some shopping to do, you see."

He didn't follow that logic at all, but thought better of asking for clarification. "I said I'd go to Tali's apartment and wait for her there."

"Oh... I wouldn't do that." Liara smiled. "Ashley has 'company'."

"Right..." Garrus wondered if his translator was malfunctioning, since he hadn't understood much of anything Liara had said so far.

Seeing the confused expression on his face, she added "She's got Joker in there. I think they want to be left alone."

"Ahhh" now things were making sense. "Okay then... I'll just... Uh..."

"Come shopping with me!" Liara said, pointing at the directions to one of the wards, not giving him chance to argue.

"Very well." He sighed. "What are we shopping for?"

"Model ships and a T-shirt." She smiled as they got into the transport.

 _This thing must be broken._ He thought tapping at the translator section of his omni-tool.

...

There was a sound of voices and clunking around coming from the living room and kitchen.

Ashley sighed as she flopped back into the bed. "Tali's back."

"Fun time's over... The kids are back from school." Jeff smirked.

"Pretty much, yeah." She said sitting up and putting on a long t-shirt. "I'm just gonna sneak out to use the bathroom."

"Can I use your shower, please?" Joker asked.

"Sure, I'll make sure the coast is clear" Ash smiled, entering stealth mode as she tip-toed to the door.

"Why? Joker did his best 'hurt' look. "Are… Are you ashamed of me?"

"I'm trying to protect Tali's innocence." Ashley grinned. "Seeing you naked would scar her for life!"

She jumped out of the room as a pillow hit the wall behind where she was stood just a second before. "Missed me." She said sticking her head back round the door and sticking her tongue out.

"C'mere and do that." He called after her as he struggled to sit up. He looked around the empty room and smiled to himself. He wished shore leave would never end.

...

Liara had been dragging Garrus round the various stores for what seemed like a lifetime to him. Apparently nothing she'd seen so far was 'quite right'... yet, still, she kept looking.

"Ah...  _This_  must be what she was talking about." She scurried over to a stall which was manned by a volus and a salarian.

"Who? What?" Garrus asked as he pursued the suddenly excited turian.

"Look!" Liara pointed at a vessel for holding liquid. "We have to get one of those for Joker"

"Like what you see?" The salarian asked. "Have many different varieties of merchandise"

"Wait a *gasp* moment…" The volus said. "You're *gasp* Liara *gasp* T-Soni!"

"What's it to you?" Garrus asked defensively before Liara had chance to answer.

"Have her face on T-shirts and other items." The salarian replied to Garrus. "And yours too, Officer Vakarian."

"What? How?" Garrus couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Who gave you permission to do this?"

"Conrad Verner sold *gasp* all holo-pics he *gasp* had in his possession." The volus explained.

"It's okay Garrus, don't worry. Besides this is just what I was looking for." Liara tried to calm him down a little.

Garrus fixed the stall-holders with a stern glare. "Fine… but I'll be checking out the legality of all this."

"Look, there's the one of Sam posing with her gun." Liara's eyes were wide with excitement. "There's one of me using my biotics… when did they get that?"

"Security cameras. Caught many useful images from footage around the Citadel." The Salarian nodded then leaned forward. "That has been one of our most popular."

"Really?" Liara giggled. "I don't suppose you have some with slogans on?"

"We certainly *gasp* do" The volus chimed in. "Take a look *gasp* round the *gasp* side."

Garrus was inspecting a picture of himself on a hat.  _When did they get this?_

Liara came back from around the side of the stall clutching an armful of clothing, from baseball caps to underwear. "Okay, I would like all of these, please."

"Certainly." The salarian started to total up the goods and stated the cost.

"Hang on a minute." Garrus butted in. "This is stuff has our faces on it. Surely we can get some kind of discount."

"Sounds fair. Can give store discount."

"How about *gasp* you let us take *gasp* some holo-pics *gasp* while you're *gasp* here and we'll let *gasp* you have them for *gasp* half the credits."

"Wait. Half price? Are you insane?" the salarian turned on the volus, dragging him off to one side out of earshot of their customers.

"We get some *gasp* good holos of *gasp* them, and we *gasp* can make far more *gasp* credits than we lose." The volus explained.

"Ahhh. Good business plan. Very well." The salarian returned to his customers. "Do you agree?"

"I don't see why not." Liara smiled

"Shepard is not going to like this." He said to his companion. "We will do one holo each… That's it."

"That's fine." Gasped the volus. "We need one *gasp* of Dr T'Soni looking *gasp* thoughtful."

"Yes. And Officer Vakarian looking… tough." The salarian added.

"Fine." Garrus sighed. "You first, Liara." He tried practicing his 'tough guy' image while the stall-holders concentrated on getting the asari's pose just right.

Liara prepared herself for the image to be taken as the salarian gave her instructions while he lined up the shot. "Maybe frown a little more. Hold chin in left hand. Yes. Now hold. Excellent."  
The holo was taken and she returned to her usual smiley self.

"Your turn, Officer."

Garrus sighed and stood with his hands on his hips, slightly looking over his left shoulder.

"No." The salarian said simply

"What? Why not?" Garrus looked hurt.

"It just looks a little..." the salarian was interrupted by the volus.

"The human's have a word *gasp* for it. I believe *gasp* it is 'camp'."

Liara couldn't help laughing. Garrus was outraged he pointed at the volus and said angrily. "Now listen here…"

"Perfect!" The salarian exclaimed as he took the holo.

Garrus stopped in his tracks. "What!?"

"Induced anger. Much more convincing. Camp-ness eradicated." The salarian bowed his head respectfully. "Many thanks. Will process order now."

"Oh." Garrus calmed down.

"Can we see them?" Liara asked.

"Printing you a free *gasp* sample T-Shirt of *gasp* each now." The volus disappeared into the back.

The salarian swiped Liara's credit chit and handed over three bags. She passed them straight to Garrus who was about to start whining about always having to carry everyone's stuff, but just sighed and took the bags.

The volus reappeared with another bag and handed it to Garrus. Liara grabbed it and took out the t-shirts to take a look.

"Hey, they're nice." Garrus was actually doing the turian equivalent of a grin. "Look how tough I look!"

"See" Liara smiled as she packed up the bag again. "It's fine."

"Okay. You were right." Garrus agreed as they walked away from the store. "Are we done now?"

"Not quite." Liara noted but ignored Garrus' sigh. "Just one last thing, then we can go."

…

Ashley sneaked back into her room and gave Joker the 'all clear' signal before she started getting dressed.

He hobbled his way to the door with the sheet wrapped around his lower body. By the time he got there, she'd already got her combat pants and vest on.

She said in a hushed tone. "I think it's all fine, you can go take a shower now. I'll cover the door while you sneak in to the bathroom."

She looked both ways before ushering him into the bathroom. After he shut the door she heard a voice shout "Ashley Williams."

Shepard was sat in the lounge. "Why are you sneaking around in your own apartment?"

"Uh… no reason, Skipper." Ash was blushing.

Sam faked a shocked look. "Did I just catch you sneaking a  _boy_  into the bathroom!?"

If Ashley could have turned inside out she would have. "Yes, Skipper"

"Good girl!" Sam laughed.

Ashley knew she wouldn't get off as easy as that. "Jeff is just taking a shower"

There was a slightly awkward silence.

"Actually… I need to ask you something." Ashley broke the silence.

"Jeez Ash, you should probably have asked a few hours ago." Shepard laughed.

Ashley punched her in the arm. "I'm serious, Sam."

"Okay, Ash… what's wrong?" Sam was getting a little concerned.

"Hey, has anyone seen Garrus?" Tali walked back in from the kitchen. "I thought he was going to meet us here."

Shepard gave Ashley a look that meant they'd have to talk later.

"Oh, Hi Ashley." Tali greeted the chief. "Sorry about getting you in trouble."

"Trouble?" Ash frowned. "What trouble?"

"Hey, good point!" Tali cringed as Sam turned her fiercest look to Ashley. "You  _lied_  to me, Chief!"


	16. A night to remember

**A night to remember**

Liara entered the apartment, closely followed by a heavily laden turian. He immediately dropped all the bags onto the sofa, turned to the Asari and asked "Are we done  _now_?"

"Yes, unless you want to help me unpack everything." She started busily pulling garments and boxes out of the bags.

He slumped into the chair in the corner. It wasn't exactly a comfy seat for a turian, but it was a lot better than being stood up. "It's okay... thanks. Besides I need to go to Tali's. I said I'd meet her there." He checked his omni tool and sighed. "Although, apparently that was hours ago." He attempted to get out of the seat, but failed. He was exhausted.  _I am NEVER going shopping again._ Although he'd endured epic battles at Shepard's side, over the last few months, none of them were as long and grueling as a shopping trip with Liara. He'd learned his lesson. Next time he was at a loose end, he would find something to do. As long as it was  _anything_  else!

Liara kept holding shirts up to herself, holding them at arms length, then giggling at them. She was setting them down in separate piles; each item was destined for a different recipient. "I always think this is the best part of a shopping trip. Don't you think?" Silence was the reply. "Garrus?" She looked up to see the turian had fallen asleep in the chair.

She smiled at the sight of him. His head was tilted back, mouth wide open and he was making a guttural rumbling sound as his breath passed through him. She proceeded to unpack, as quietly as possible.

...

"They asked me not to tell you, Sam." Ashley defended. "And they said they had a surprise for you, so I didn't want to be the one to spoil it!"

Sam shook her head and sighed. "I'm too exhausted to be angry with anyone. Don't worry. No harm done."

Ashley looked at Tali, a mix of worry and confusion on her face as she looked back at Shepard. "Are you ok, Sam?"

"I will be when I speak with Liara." Sam stretched as she stood up and headed for the door. "How about I see you at flux later, for 'last night' drinks."

"Yeah, sure." Ashley smiled weakly.

"We can finish our chat too, Ash." Sam could read the concern on her friend's face. "I'll see you later." She gave a reassuring nod, to which the chief replied. "2100 again, Skipper?"

"Uh, yeah. And tell Garrus too if you see him." Sam said and left the apartment.

Shepard wandered towards her own door, opened it and shouted "Lia..." She stopped mid word when she saw her asari lover scurry out of the bedroom holding her finger to her lips, going "Shhh!" and waving her arms.

Sam was more than a little confused. Especially since Liara was almost completely naked, the room looked like a scene from battle, and there was a strange noise coming from the corner of the room. "What the hell?" Sam mouthed as Liara beckoned her into the bedroom. Shepard followed, frowning partly at the fact that she now could see the origin of that strange sound, and partly because Liara was walking backwards to cover her modesty.

As they entered the bedroom and closed the door, Sam said. "What's going on? Why are you naked? Why is Garrus so tired?" Her mind was racing, trying not to jump to conclusions she knew were ridiculous.

"I am not naked... Look closer." Liara looked the asari up and down. She realised she was actually wearing a pair of undies which were the exact colour of her skin.

"Okay... So almost naked..." The answers weren't becoming any more obvious to Sam. Then Liara turned around to reveal the lettering ' _EMBRACE ETERNITY'_  sprawled across her backside. Sam started to laugh. "Where the hell did you get those?"

"I wanted them to be a surprise for you." The young archaeologist said, suddenly feeling a little shy and reaching for a skimpy tee-shirt which she held up to cover her chest. "See, I have a matching top to the set which I was just trying on when I heard you enter."

Sam did nothing but grin at the sight in front of her. The look in her eyes made Liara blush. "Garrus is in the next room." She whispered.

Sam frowned again. "Yeah, why is that? And why is he so exhausted?"

"I took him shopping with me." Liara smirked.

Shaking her head, Shepard murmered. "Poor guy." Her remark earned her a short playful slap on the arm from her lover.

"Well it looks like it has been quite a busy and unusual day for everyone then." Sam smiled thinking back over the events of the last several hours.  _I can't believe we did that in the Cargo hold._ She smirked for a moment until she saw the look of concern on her asari lover's face.

"Did... did you get your orders...?" Liara asked, not really knowing if she wanted to hear the answer.

"Yes I did." Sam took on a slightly more serious expression that worried Liara for a second.

"Samantha?" Liara asked cautiously. "Is it good news?"

Sam smiled softly. "Its not bad news... put it that way."

"You mean...?" The azure maiden had tears already forming as Sam replied with a nod and a smile.

Liara raised her hands to Sam's cheeks and kissed her. "Thank the Goddess!"

"I'll explain everything in a minute." Shepard grinned and winked at her. "But first, you... um... stop looking so deliciously naked, while I go put an end to that awful racket."

"I've never heard anything like it!" Liara laughed. "I mean, you snore, but nothing like..."

"I do not!" Sam interrupted, frowning.

"You do... just a little." Liara said carefully.

Shepard scowled. "Anyway..." She said turning back towards the lounge, grumbling in her mind.  _I don't snore... Do I? Why hasn't she told me before...?_

...

Tali sat down in a chair opposite Ashley. "Why did Sam look worried?"

"I think she got her orders earlier." Ashley frowned.

"Oh..." Tali said softly. She knew that there weren't any certainties as to what Shepard's next mission would be or who would accompany her. Well, no certainties aside from the fact that she would no longer have a quarian engineer on her team.

Ashley sighed as the pair sat in a comfortable silence each contemplating their own situations.

The chief looked very concerned; lost in thoughts about breaking alliance regulations. _I've only just had the honour of the Williams' name restored; I don't want to have it smeared again simply through breaking fraternisation regs_.

Tali was still unsure she was doing the right thing by returning to the fleet. Or rather she knew she was doing the 'right' thing, but that it was not necessarilly what she wanted.  _But my decision is made now._ She thought to hersef, almost more to try to reassure herself, than anything else.

Their quiet contemplation was interrupted when the bathroom door opened. Joker's head peeped out, cautiously looking around.

"Its okay, Jeff, we got busted already." Ashley laughed.

Jeff simply grinned and left the bathroom, holding a towel in front of himself. As he approached the bedroom door, he noted that Tali was sat facing away from him and decided to flash Ashley before he disappeared into the bedroom to dress.

Ashley shook her head and smirked.

"What did I miss?" Tali asked innocently.

"Very little!" The chief replied loudly.

"Hey!" Jeffs voice could be heard from the bedroom. "That was harsh, Ashley!" He added through the gap in the door before it closed. "It is cold in here, y'know!"

Tali giggled. She found the pair to be a very good match. They were clearly very happy. She lost herself for a moment, wishing she had something similar. She had made such good friends. It was almost as if she was leaving her family and loved ones by returning to her people.  _Then there's Garrus..._

Tali's thoughts were interrupted by a chime from the door.

...

Shepard carefully approached the sleeping turian. She softly whispered his name. No response. She gently shook his arm. No response. She knocked on his chest plate. No response.

Liara walked into the room wearing a tee with Shepards face on it, making Sam smirk and shake her head. "I can't wake him." She said in a hushed tone. "Look." Sam took hold of Garrus' mandibles and wiggled them.

The only response was a few undecipherable mumblings, and one word which Shepard and Liara did recognise "...Tali..."

"Awwww." Liara smiled, resting her head on Sam's shoulder. "He's dreaming."

"Okay. I know how to wake him." Sam said. "But he's not gonna like it... I'd step back a bit."

Liara heeded the warning and looked on with intrigue.

Sam cleared ther throat and shouted in her loudest, military style voice. "Garrus! Tali is in trouble!"

"Wha?!" Garrus' eyes flew open, mandibles flaring, as he took to his feet in an instant and reached for his side-arm.

"Whoa! Easy fella!" Sam patted him on the arm.

"Sh...Shepard? What the..?" He looked around furtively. "Where's…?"

"Its okay. You fell asleep. It was just a dream." Sam winked at Liara who couldn't help but giggle at the look on Garrus' face.

"More like a nightmare." He rumbled as his expression which had started as a mix of confusion, anger, panic and shock, gradually transformed into a scowl at Liara as he slowly remembered the ordeal that had exhausted him that afternoon. His mandibles fluttered with slight embarrassment as he holstered his weapon. "I apologise, Commander."

"What for?" Sam laughed. "Looks like Liara should be the one apologising to you."

He looked over at the asari who was smiling at him. "Yes... Quite. I've endured some tough times in my life... But this afternoon… that was…" He shook his head, lost for words.

Sam grinned at Liara "I'll make sure she promises never to do it again."

"Good." Garrus couldn't help but laugh at the look Liara gave Sam.

"Now I think there's a quarian next door who was wondering where you got to."

"Oh, right." Garrus straightened up fully. That chair had made him ache all over. "I best be going."

"We're meeting at Flux later." Sam said as he walked towards the exit, still stretching out his muscles. "Tali will fill you in."

"Okay, Commander." He nodded then cast his gaze at the asari stood next to her. "And thanks for a  _wonderful_  afternoon." He added sarcastically.

"You're welcome." Liara said with a smug little nod. "Oh, and can you give these to Ashley, please?". The Asari asked sweetly as she handed him a bag.

"Oh sure, first baggage carrier now delivery boy." Garrus shook his head, as he took the bag.

"Thanks." Liara grinned.

"See you both later." He said before leaving, still muttering under his breath.

...

Ashley rose from her seat and opened the apartment door, to find the grumpy looking turian stood holding a bag. "Hi Garrus, come in. You okay?"

"Garrus?" Great concern was evident in Tali's voice as she stood and approached them. "What is the matter?"

He shook his head. "Liara took me shopping." He sighed as he leaned against a wall. His body still aching from the position he'd fallen asleep in nextdoor. "Here." He added, handing the bag to Ashley.

The chief looked puzzled for a moment, then grinned slightly as she peeped inside. "She got one! Excellent!" Ashley said with glee. "Thanks, Garrus." She said as she scuried off to her bedroom.

Garrus shook his head, closed his eyes and rubbed over his face. "What a day."

Tali, now stood in front of him, took hold of his hands. As she did, something inside him seemed to flutter. His mandbles flexed almost in excitement at what was happening. The contact between them. He wasn't quite sure why, but he squeezed her hands gently in his, taking in a gasp of air in anticipation of whatever she was about to say to him.

"Come on. You can tell me all about it over a nutrient pack." She said matter-of-fact-ly.

He let out the breath he'd been holding, not sure whether he was relieved or disapointed.  _What did I expect her to say?_ He almost visibly shook himself as he pushed away from the wall and allowed himself to be led off to the kitchen by the young quarian.

….

"Hey Jeff, look!" Ashley bounded into the bedroom as Joker was just putting his shirt on.

"Wow, what's got you so excited?" Joker looked surprised as Ashley approached him and started tugging his shirt up. "Oh you want more of me, huh?"

"No don't be silly." Ashley giggled as she lifted his shirt over his head. She noticed his frown as his head emerged. "I mean of course I do… but… Oh hell, just look at this."

Ashley pulled the tee shirt from the bag and held it up to herself. Joker shook his head and started laughing. "Now  _that's_  a tee shirt for me!"

He grabbed it and eagerly put it on. He stood with his hands on hips, grinning the biggest grin. "You know I'm gonna wear this tonight, right?"

The chief reached out and took his unshaven face in her hands, looking into his eyes. Her thumbs gently caressed his cheekbones. "I think you should wear it with pride, Mr Moreau." She softly kissed his lips as his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Thank you, Ashley." He smiled as he rested his forehead against hers. "This has been the best shore leave ever. Broken bones aside, of course…"

Ashley rolled her eyes. "You always have to go and spoil the moment don't you?"

"Hey… It's what I do!" He grinned, stepped back and pointed at his chest. "That, and saving the citadel!"

The chief smiled and took his hand, leading him out of the room.

…..

Sam went over to the pile of bags and items spread over the furniture. "Anything in here for me?"

"Wait! Don't look in there!" Liara grasped two of the bags and pulled them out of Shepard's view.

"Ohhh what you got there?!" The human sat down where the bags had been.

"Nothing… Well, something obviously… but…" The asari scowled as she tried to think of a reason to pull the bags away.

"But?! You can't tease like that!"

Liara couldn't help but smile when she saw the look on Sam's face.

"Come on… What is it!? Can I look? Pleeeeeaseeee?" Shepard moved to the front of her seat and bounced like an excited child

"Okay, okay." Liara giggled. "You can see them… I wanted you to have a gift too."

Shepard smiled and stood up. "I got a gift the day I met you, Liara." She pressed her lips to the soft blue ones in front of her.

Liara kissed her and nuzzled her nose in return. "How do you always know what to say?"

Sam laughed. "I don't, I really don't." She tried to peek around the side of her lover to see what she was hiding.

The asari took a step back, and held out the two bags. Sam took them and put them down on the couch. She peeked inside one, and pulled out a self-assembly Destiny Ascension model ship. Her jaw dropped as she looked up at Liara. "Ohhh myyy goddd!" She put that box down and looked into the other bag. "A  _Normandy_  too?! I can't believe they're making these! These are fantastic!"

Shepard stood and took Liara in her arms, picking her up as she kissed her again. "You are the best, thank you so much! I used to have loads of model ships when I was a kid! I spent hours making them." Sam's eyes squinted in suspicion as she read the asari's expression. "Something tells me that you already knew that though…"

"I was stuck for ideas… so I thought I would ask my mother-in-law." Liara beamed triumphantly.

"Oh I better watch my back if you two are getting along this well already!" Sam laughed and squeezed Liara tight in her arms. "I thought you could maybe start a collection. Brighten up your quarters a little."

"I love you so much, Liara. Thank you."

The asari closed her eyes and nuzzled into the dip of Sam's neck, breathing her in. "I love you too, Samantha."

They held each other tightly, until Liara said. "Here let me show you the tee shirts they're making of us." Sam reluctantly let go, but had to laugh when she saw the various items Liara pulled from the bags.

…..

Joker followed Ashley out of her room and said. "Hey if I'm staying here tonight, I really should go and get my stuff from the room I rented." He frowned. "Y'know… like…"

"A couple of Fornax magazines?" Ashley teased.

"Ha ha ha." Jeff replied sarcastically, even though she was actually pretty accurate with her teasing. "Okay so I didn't actually have much stuff… It seems a while since I was there." He frowned as he tried to recall what he's left there besides medi-gel; not wanting to bring that up again. "I think I maybe had a bottle of something though. Oooh and my hat too."

"Well you cant be without that!" The chief smiled.

"Actually I think this is the longest I've gone without wearing a hat for years. No wonder my head is cold." Jeff's hand went to his head as he faked a surprised expression.

"Just have a shave while you're there too." Ashley tilted her head and raised her eyebrow. "Might be the last time you do that for a long time too. We all know you never leave the helm once you're there."

"Hey, that's not true! I wash and… stuff too." He scowled as he hobbled his way to the door.

"Mhm." Ash nodded before kissing him again. "I'll meet you at Flux in a bit then."

"Sure. I'll see you there. And I'm not taking this shirt off."

…

Shepard and Liara were the first to enter the club. They found a table and ordered a couple of cocktails. Shepard told the bartender to add all her friends' drinks to her tab for the night.

Liara sat down beside her companion. She pointed at the entrance as Ashley, Tali and Garrus were next to show up. Shepard nodded towards the bar, then mouthed "On me." To Ash. The chief grinned, led her friends to the bar and ordered drinks for Garrus and herself.

"Hey, if we get you drunk enough, will you sexy dance for us again, Garrus?" Tali teased.

"If you're lucky, I just might!" He turned and showed her the turian equivalent of a grin. "I might just teach you all a thing or two!"

"Ohh feisty, Garrus. I like it!" Ashley nodded with approval as she gave him a gentle shove to usher him towards the table where their friends were sat.

"Where's Jeff?" Liara asked the chief as they all took a seat.

"He had to go get his porn from his hotel room." Ashley laughed, half joking, then started to frown a little as she sat back, sipping at her drink.

Shepard shook her head. "Should have known…"

A few minutes later, Doctor Chakwas joined them. She added a Serrice Ice Brandy to Sam's tab. They all sat around chatting, reminiscing and pondering the exciting times that lie ahead of them

As the conversation grew quieter, Tali poked Garrus' arm. "Fancy teaching me some of your famous moves?" She nodded towards the dance floor.

He beamed and stood straight up. "Absolutely!" They stood up and headed off.

Liara looked towards Sam, about to ask her to dance, but noticed that she was watching Ashley frowning into her drink. She turned to Doctor Chakwas and said. "Come on, let's go and show them how its done."

Doctor Chakwas nearly choked as she swallowed the last sip of her brandy. "I think I may make more of a fool of myself than Garrus out there… but what the heck!" She chuckled and stood up. "You only live once!"

Shepard watched as Liara and the doctor joined their friends on the floor. She turned in her seat to face the chief. "Ash? What's wrong?"

Ashley shook her head as she broke away from her thoughts. She looked up, her eyes met Shepard's. "I really like him…"

Sam smiled. "Is that a problem?"

"I don't know… is it?" The chief shrugged and took a gulp of her drink.

Shepard shuffled a little closer. "It doesn't have to be."

"There are rules against fraternisation." Ashley sighed. "I'm still alliance military. And so is he."

"I know the rules, Ash" Shepard smiled and tilted her head. "Look, we may be on an alliance ship, but its now a Spectre ship..."

"So?" The chief frowned. "I just got the Williams name out of disrepute… Im not going to risk it being blacklisted yet again."

"Ashley, that's not going to happen. We're independent of the alliance now. I never thought I would be going against alliance regulations either, but I was in such a state when I thought I might lose my crew… Lose Liara… that I know that I can't live without her." Shepard shook her head. "You are a good soldier, and we both know neither of us would let anything get in the way of the mission. And as long as that's the way it stays, then we don't have a problem."

Ashley looked up from her drink. "Are you sure?"

"Believe me, I've given it a lot of thought." Shepard smiled. "If they'd said Liara couldn't be part of my crew, I honestly was considering handing in my resignation."

"Wow… you really do love her don't you?" The chief sighed.

"I really do… with every fibre of my being. I'm nothing without her now. I couldn't live without her."

"Well I've not got it that bad." Ashley mocked and nudged her commander's arm. They both noticed Jeff walking into the club, sporting his hat and his new tee shirt.

"What the hell is he wearing?!" Shepard laughed hard.

"I asked Liara to get me one while she was shopping. Figured it would suit him."

"Oh you got that right!" Sam stood up, looked down at Ashley. "You alright now?"

"I am, thank you." She nodded. "And I promise it wont be a problem."

"Good to hear, chief" Sam reached out her hand to her friend and pulled her up.

Ashley saluted as she rose. They headed over to the bar, and shepard bought Joker a drink as Ashley greeted him with a kiss.

"Hey I could get used to this kinda treatment." He grinned, kissing Ashley softly.

"Don't get too used to it…" Sam warned, making Ashley turn and frown at her. "Just saying, no public displays of affection!" She laughed, winked at the couple and headed off to join Liara and their friends.

Ashley shook her head then returned a smile to Jeff.

"Is everything okay?" He questioned.

"Everything is just great." She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him gently. He returned her embrace.

"I'd ask you to dance, but…" He whispered.

Ashley grinned mischievously. "Save your energy" she winked.

"Deal." He hobbled over to the table where everyone had been sat. Ashley was about to sit beside him. "Go have a dance… You know you want to." He shot her a cheesy wink. "Plus… I wanna watch."

"Ohhh my goodness, I've not moved that much in years!" Doctor Chakwas said as she flopped into her chair.

"Go on, I'll keep the good doctor company… and get her another drink." He laughed as the doctor sat with her head on the table. Ashley danced her way over to the floor to join Sam, who was laughing at Garrus' moves. They both laughed even harder at the fact that Tali was trying to copy him.

…

Doctor Chakwas was the first to say goodnight. She'd danced and laughed harder than she had for a long while, but she knew that if she carried on, she was going to have a bad head in the morning. Not the way to spend the first day back on the mission. She approached Sam who was leaning against the bar, checking the bill that her crewmates had managed to rack up.

"Goodnight, Shepard. It's a pleasure to know you, as a woman, as a leader, and as my commander." Chakwas hugged Sam.

"It's an honour to know you and have you on my crew, doctor. Hope you get a good night's sleep." Sam replied, smiling as she watched the medic stumble out of the club and head to the CRT.

Sam turned her attention back to her friends. The crew of the Normandy danced and drank the evening away. They were sat around the table, laughing at Joker, who for once was living up to his nickname. Garrus was the only one who was still on the dance floor; now sharing his epic skills with a female elcor and 3 asari who seemed to have taken to him. Finally he left his groupies and returned to the table.

"That little nap earlier must have given you some energy, Garrus. You certainly don't seem exhausted anymore!" Liara smirked at him.

His mandibles flared. "What can I say, this turian has a lot of stamina." He winked at Tali who shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

The group all stopped talking. "Smooooooth." Joker mumbled, making Ashley and Liara laugh.

Shepard walked back up to the table. "Okay, I'm now broke. Time to go!"

Ashley nodded. "Yeah I think we need to get Garrus out of here before he starts a new trend or something."

"Good thinking." Shepard chuckled as she looked over at the asari and elcor left on the dance floor, still mimicking some of his trademark moves. "Hmmmm… might be too late for that though."

One by one, everyone stood up and made their way towards the CRT. Ashley and Joker climbed into the first one, the door closed and it zipped off towards the residential area.

"I take it you're staying at my place tonight then?" Ashley asked the pilot, slightly tongue in cheek.

"Well yeah, I assumed you'd want to spend the last night together… y'know…" He shifted a little, realising he hadn't actually asked.

Ashley leaned over and kissed his smooth cheek. "I'm just teasing, Jeff."

He turned his head and kissed her lips. "I'll get you back for that."

Back at the CRT, Liara and Sam strolled along, their arms linked as they came to a place to lean against. They watched Tali and Garrus laughing together. "They do seem like they could be a good couple." Liara commented.

"I don't think it's like that." Sam replied, resting her head on Liara's shoulder.

Liara planted a kiss on the top of Sam's head. "Come on, our ride is here."

They climbed in and waved at the quarian and turian through the window as their transport left.

Tali looked around, realising the chief had already gone. "Oh, I will be going back to the apartment on my own then." She sighed.

"Well… I could accompany you… if you like?" Garrus offered.

"Are you sure? I don't want to keep you if you need to gather your things elsewhere." Tali's voice picked up.

"I'm sure."

"Well I suppose you could always stay at the apartment." The quarian suggested, feeling slightly awkward as they got into their cab.

"Really?" Garrus was surprised at the offer. "I would appreciate that very much, thank you." Garrus knew it she would be sleeping in her pod, but just being able to be close to her for this final night, was enough for him. Every last moment he could spend in her presence was something he could hang on to when they were destined to be so very far apart for the foreseeable future.

"You are most welcome." The two shared a comfortable silence as they took their short journey to the apartments.

When they arrived and walked towards the residencies, the lights were already off in the Shepard/T'Soni residence. They entered Tali's apartment, noting the giggling coming from the closed door of Ashley's room. "Erm, do you want anything before we retire?" Tali asked politely.

"I think I'm okay thanks". Garrus answered, casting a glance in the direction of all the commotion.

Tali turned and headed to her room, with the turian following. As she reached her pod, she turned around and gave Garrus a big hug. "It was a lot of fun tonight, thank you."

Garrus held the young quarian tightly. "It really was a great night to end on."

"Goodnight, Garrus." Tali said quietly as they parted.

Garrus took his place on the bed as she climbed into her pod. He watched as the pod door closed softly. "Goodnight, Tali." He whispered softly, as sleep claimed him.

…

"Can't believe it's really our last night together in our apartment." Sam sighed as she pulled back the sheets on their bed.

"We best make the most of it. I heard there are to be no public displays of affection on the ship." Liara teased.

"Ohhh that got back to you, huh?" Sam smirked. "We'll just have to keep it behind closed doors."

Liara walked towards Sam, undressing as she approached. Shepard gazed at the blue beauty before her; still barely able to believe she was really hers. "Fine by me, my love." Liara whispered as her lips touched Sam's.

Sam gazed into her lover's eyes as the words 'Embrace Eternity' seared through her soul.


	17. Mixed Feelings

**Mixed Feelings**

The crew began to assemble in the docking bay next to the ship. As the number of cases and shopping bags increased to the point where there was little room to move, Shepard decided it was time to allow the crew to start boarding the Normandy. As they all gathered their belongings and lined up to enter the ship's depressurisation chamber three at a time, Shepard watched them with fascination; they all seemed so excited and filled with an energy that only shore leave could muster. The ensigns were chatting away with each other, no doubt sharing tales about how they'd spent the last seven days and guessing what their new mission would be.

Sam couldn't help but be concerned that their new mission would be a disappointment to all these men and women who were 'ready to get back out there and protect the galaxy', as she heard one of the young marines say.

 _How am I supposed to tell them that effectively we're being sent out there to give the Galaxy a bit of a spring clean, and fumigate for Geth?_ She couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh as she pondered what she would say in the 'motivational speech' that she knew would be expected of her, before they embarked on their next adventure.  _Ah, I'll think of something – even if it's Hey Crew, the idea of this mission is really crappy but we're gonna find a way to make it more interesting!_

Little did the Commander know that Liara had also been watching the scene, but from a slightly different view point; her interest had been drawn by Sam's ever changing expression, which seemed to flit between a worried frown and hopeful optimism. She surmised that Shepard must be talking to herself in her head, because she hadn't actually spoken a word. The asari slowly slinked up to her distracted mate, walked behind her and placed her hands on her waist.

"Jeez, Liara!" Sam jumped at the touch, turning around to face her smiling partner. "Where the hell did you come from?"

"You were too distracted by your thoughts to see my approach." Liara took Sam's hands in her own. "Thoughts, I might add, which made your frown lines appear again. Naturally, I was concerned."

"Sorry. I was just thinking about what I'm going to tell this lot…" She nodded in the direction of the bustling crew. "...about the Geth clean-up mission the Council is sending us on."

"You are their Commander. A Spectre. The woman who saved the Galaxy from destruction." The asari rested her forehead on Sam's. "Just being part of the Normandy's crew...  _Your_  crew... no matter what the mission may be… is an honour in itself."

"Wow... You're good!" Sam smiled and kissed her quickly before they separated. "You can do my speech for me, if you like."

Liara just shook her head and turned to talk to Ashley for a moment, leaving Shepard to her quiet contemplation.

Eventually, all the crew were aboard, except for Ashley, Joker, Garrus, Liara and Shepard.

They were each stood waiting for their turn as Engineer Adams told Tali how much she had helped and taught him in their short time working together. She decided not tell him she'd increased the drive core's efficiency. It would, instead, be a surprise parting gift from her to the engineering team. He said his farewell, gave her a slightly awkward hug then made his way onto the ship.

Joker stepped up next. He simply hugged her. "Thanks for makin' my baby even more perfect than she already was."

"It was my pleasure, Joker." She nodded.

"Ah-ha! I knew you must get  _something_  out of all that fiddling you do!" He smirked, stepping back from her and looking around to see if the others were laughing. "Am I right!? Huh?"

He sighed "Ah, forget it." When he realised they were all talking amongst themselves in order to grant Tali some privacy for her farewells.

"Ahhh, I'm going to miss not really understanding your jokes." She laughed.

"And I'll miss pretending to understand your indecipherable techno-babble!" He said, still smiling.

He was just about to say his final farewell when Tali said. "Joker… Please promise me one thing."

"I'll look after her." He smiled his slightly wonky smile. "Don't worry… she's in safe hands."

"You better" She said firmly. "If you hurt her, there will be hell to pay."

"Uh… Okay… a little over-protective there, Tali!" He raised his eyebrows.

"She's my friend, Jeff." She said, hands on hips. Although he obviously couldn't see her expression, he knew she'd be doing whatever the quarian equivalent of a scowl would be.

"Just to clarify, we are talking about the Normandy, right?" Joker asked trying to keep a straight face. "Cos calling her a 'friend'... Well that's a little weird, even for you!"

"Jeff!" She said in a fierce tone and took a step towards him. "You  _know_  who I'm talking about."

He raised both hands defensively. "Okay! Easy! Yes, I  _do_  know who you mean… and I will." For the first time ever, she saw a genuinely sincere expression on his face. "I promise. I'd never hurt her."

"Good." She gently rubbed his arm. "Fare well, Joker."

"Good luck, Tali. Take care." He said as he limped slowly towards the ship's entrance.

Liara noticed Joker's departure and whispered to Sam that she was going next.

She wore a sad smile as she approached the young quarian. "Tali… I-I do not really do very well with goodbyes."

"Me either… and I'm only half way through." Tali sighed. "I don't know how much more of this I can bear."

"Well then, let us not say goodbye." The Asari suggested. "Not only because I know I will weep if I do, but because I am sure this is not the last we will see of one another."

"I couldn't agree more." Tali giggled at her sentimental friend. "I hope to see you again soon."

Liara tightly embraced the masked figure before her. "Keep safe, Tali."

Ashley and Sam were stood leaning against the waist high railings of the docking bay, just talking until it was their turn. "It's just not gonna be the same, Sam." Ashley sighed.

"I know. We're all really going to miss her." Shepard nodded slowly. "I mean, just look at Garrus." He was at the far end of the bay, pacing backwards and forwards wearing what could only be described as a nervous frown, mandibles flaring repeatedly, almost like he was clenching his jaws. He even seemed to be talking to himself. "I've never seen him like this."

"Yeah, he seems really upset. Hey you don't suppose…" Ashley was stopped mid sentence by Sam who suddenly saluted and said "Captain… Uh, Councillor Anderson."

"Shepard, at ease." He chuckled "I'm not here in an official capacity. I just came here, as David Anderson, to see you off."

"Oh. Thank you, Sir." Sam nodded respectfully. "We're all just saying our goodbyes to Tali."

"…aaaand it's my turn now. Excuse me, Sir." Ashley nodded to the former Captain, having noticed Liara walking away. "See you onboard, Commander." She nodded, leaving Shepard and Anderson to talk.

"See, this is just not fair…" Ashley said as she wandered over towards the lone engineer. "Not only am I having to leave behind the best apartment ever… I'm losing the best roomie ever, too!"

Tali couldn't help but laugh a little. Her heart was heavy from all these fond farewells, but as always, Ashley managed to lighten her mood. "It was a pleasure sharing accommodation with you."

"We have some memories from that place." Ashley smiled wistfully. "I liked our chats on the balcony, best."

"Me too." Tali started to laugh. "But I will always remember having to put you to bed when you were too drunk to know how to take your boots off!"

"Ahhh, see, that's  _why_  you're the best roomie ever!" Ashley laughed with her. "Right, so..." There was a brief and awkward silence between them as they stood face to mask. Ashley was useless at all this 'girly huggy crap' as she'd always called it.

"You better let us know how you're doing, from time to time." Ash said, gently punching the quarian's right shoulder.

"I expect regular updates too, chief." Tali punched her back.

"Yup." Ashley looked around, again feeling a little awkward. "Awww, hell… c'mere." She grabbed Tali and gave her a squeeze.

"I will miss you very much, Ashley." Tali returned the embrace and tried to pull away.

"It's really not gonna be the same around here." The human's hold seemed to be getting tighter despite the fact that the quarian had loosened her grip.

"Uh, Chief…" The engineer wriggled. "You're starting to crush me."

"Oh! Sorry." Ashley sniffed as she let go slightly.

Tali started to pull away again but the chief quickly locked her arms around the quarian once more, still resting her chin on Tali's shoulder. "Just… just gimme a second."

"Chief? Are you actually crying?" Tali was now giggling at the human who just wouldn't let go.

Ashley took a deep breath and finally released Tali. "Of course not." She looked upwards and sniffed away the tears from her eyes, coughed to clear her throat. "I'm fine."

Tali whispered "I always knew your 'tough' exterior was all an act."

"I swear, if you ever tell anyone about this…"

"It's okay." Tali laughed. "It can be our little secret."

"Right." Ashley punched her friend's shoulder once more. "Take care of yourself."

"You too, Chief…" She replied. "…and make sure Shepard doesn't do anything too crazy."

Ashley smiled. "That's a big ask and probably a full-time job in itself, but I'll do my best!" The chief turned and headed straight to the ship. She didn't want Shepard to see her with slightly bloodshot eyes, purely because she knew the mocking would be endless.

Sam was still talking to Anderson when she saw Ashley take her leave of the situation. She beckoned the pacing turian over, indicating that he should go next.

He took a deep breath before walking towards Tali. Even though, in his head he'd been going over and over what he wanted to say, when he was faced with her, he couldn't speak. He just made a strange grunting sound and sighed.

"Are you okay, Garrus?" Tali asked, concern evident in her voice.

He was going to miss the sound her voice so much. He took a breath then managed to formulate some noises that were actually words. "Yes, thank you. How are you doing with all this?"

"Well, it's a little bitter sweet, I guess." She answered with a sigh. "So… do you have any words of wisdom, orders or inappropriate jokes for me?"

Garrus gave short sharp laugh. "No… but I did get you the latest hacking upgrade for your omni-tool. Y'know, for next time you decide to break in somewhere." He smiled at the quarian before him and used his omni-tool to upgrade hers.

"Thank you, Garrus. That's really thoughtful of you." If he could see through her mask, he would see how touched she was by the gift.

"Well, we can't have you getting arrested as soon as we leave, now can we!?" He joked.

"Oh Garrus, it's going to be so hard watching you leave. All of you." She added with a nervous glance at the Normandy to her left. "In just a few minutes you'll be setting off on your new adventure..."

"You have your own adventure lying ahead of you…" He tried to comfort her. "…and you're heading back to your people as a hero! Imagine the welcome you'll get."

"I suppose so. It's just..." Tali looked down. Without seeing her face, it was hard to tell exactly what she was thinking, but her body language spoke volumes. "I really wish I could come with you." She sniffled.

Garrus took a step towards her and she instantly fell into his arms, wrapping hers around him and resting her head against his armoured chest-plate. "I'm going to miss you so much." She murmured.

"And I, you." The turian squeezed her as tightly as he dared, not wishing to damage her.  _Come on, Garrus you fool... This is the perfect time... Just tell her how you feel._ His thoughts taunted him, but he knew it would only make their parting so much more painful if he did.

She slowly pushed away from him. "Maybe our adventures will cause us to cross paths again in our future."

He rested his forehead on hers. "I certainly hope so." His mandibles flared as their heads parted after a short while. He knew he'd just let an opportunity pass him by, but he also knew that now was  _not_ the time for such things.  _If our time is meant to come, then the Spirits will bring us back together._  "Until then, there are many ways for us to keep in contact."

"I know." She nodded "And Shepard says I can always come to pay a visit."

"Then I look forward to meeting again." He rubbed her upper arm, then turned away from her and walked the path towards the Normandy's airlock. "Farewell, Tali'Zorah."

She wanted to be strong, but the tears kept rolling down her face. This time she was glad of her mask; she wouldn't want his last vision of her to be a weeping wreck. She bowed her head to him before he disappeared from sight. "Goodbye, Garrus Vakarian." She muttered under her breath.  _No... it's not_ goodbye _._ She reassured herself.  _We will meet again._

"Tali'Zorah." Councillor Anderson addressed her as he neared, with Shepard by his side. "It has been a pleasure to have known you."

"The feeling is mutual, Councillor." Tali bowed respectfully. "Thank you for trusting me to assist in the mission."

"I trust Shepard's instincts." He laughed. "She said you were alright; that was good enough for me. And you've proven yourself time and time again since then. I'm sure your people will be proud."

"Thank you, Sir." She replied, feeling quite embarrassed by his comments. "I am just sorry I cannot continue to assist."

"I'm sure you will be contactable, should we need any technical assistance." He said, half question, half suggestion.

"Oh, of course!" Tali was gleeful at the thought that she might be able to help from afar.

"One thing… If you ever say 'turn it off and turn it back on again', I will disown you forever." Shepard butted in.

Anderson laughed, but Tali failed to get the reference. "I will try to remember not to do that, Commander. Besides, you cannot really 'turn off' a drive core…"

"Yeah... don't worry." Sam said reassuringly. "I'll leave the drive-core experiments to Adams"

Anderson, knowing Shepard would want some time to say her goodbyes to the young quarian said "Right, well, I hope to hear from you soon, Shepard. Safe journey."

"Thanks for coming, Sir." Shepard called after him as he strode towards the elevator. "I'll keep in touch."

He suddenly stopped and turned around. "Oh, that reminds me... I would like you to keep some form of official daily log about what you find on this mission."

"You're kidding, right?" Sam raised one eyebrow as he walked back towards her. "I'm useless at keeping diaries."

"It doesn't have to be much – just a summary of the day's events." He smiled, part of him was loving this, just for the look on Shepard's face as he explained that he was serious. "Obviously, if you find anything of major importance then you should add as much detail as possible."

Sam just stood there open mouthed for a second. "But..."

"No ' _but_ s', Commander." The Councillor said firmly, slipping back into his role. "This is what the Council and the Alliance would like you to do."

"I thought you weren't here in an official capacity." She was almost whining like a small child who was told to go to bed even though she was promised she could stay up late.

"I was... but that never lasts long." He nodded to her, bid her farewell once more and promptly left before she could come up with a reason why not to do this.

"Well that's just great." Shepard sighed as she watched him disappear behind the elevator doors.

Tali patted her gently on the back. "Never mind... maybe if you write enough, you could publish it as part of your autobiography."

Again Shepard stood there, mouth slightly ajar. "I don't think so." Was all she could manage as a response to the suggestion. "Anyway... enough about that." She said, turning to face the quarian. "There are more important things going on."

"There's so much I want to thank you for, Shepard." Tali began, but stopped as Sam started shaking her head.

"You don't have to thank me for anything." Shepard smiled kindly. "I doubt any of us would even be here if we hadn't found you, that day in a back alley!"

"Oh, I don't think it would have had that much of an impact." Tali replied shyly.

"Well I do... I'd have been stuck many times if it wasn't for your engineering wizardry both on and off the ship." The Commander said, looking at the entrance to the Normandy. "Then there's always your immense hacking skills – which, by the way, you should probably experiment with in less illegal ways than breaking into a ship."

"Ah, I have that covered now, thanks to Garrus." She flashed her omni-tool in front of the Commander's face. "Garrus got me the latest hacking upgrade as a leaving present."

"Did he now?" Shepard asked curiously.  _Maybe Ash was right about these two._ "That was very sweet of him."

"Yes, he is very thoughtful." Tali sighed, almost wistfully. "I will miss him very much… a-a-as I will miss you all very much." She added quickly.

 _Ah-ha... so it's mutual?_ Shepard couldn't help but grin, but decided that under the circumstances it was probably best not to probe... however much she wanted to. "We're all going to miss you too." Sam gave her a big hug, then held her at arms length by the shoulders and said firmly, yet kindly. "If you need anything... anything at all... any time. Just call us and we will be right there, okay?"

"That's very kind, Shepard, but you cannot possibly promise that." Tali rationalised. "What if you were in the middle of a battle. Or if you were groundside on a mission."

"Damn you and your logic, Tali." Sam shook her gently and dropped one arm, leaving her right still on the quarian's upper arm. "You know what I mean though... even if I can only promise that it'll be as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Sam." Tali nodded her head. "I will stay in touch. I would quite like to read your log, actually." She nudged the Commander playfully.

"Yeah, that's not gonna last." Shepard laughed. "Anyway. Stay safe. And know you always have a place on my ship, should you need it."

Tali couldn't speak. To a quarian, that was the nicest thing anyone could ever say. She just nodded and gave Sam another quick hug. "Take care, Samantha Shepard." She eventually managed to mutter.

Sam smiled and turned towards the Normandy's airlock. "You sure we can't drop you somewhere?" She said from the entrance.

"No, it's fine. My people are sending transport for me." The young engineer answered. "Thank you, though."

"Ok then, be good!" Shepard waved as she entered the chamber.

...

When the airlock opened onto the Normandy, Shepard stepped out. She looked around as the crewmates chatted and asked each other about the events of their week break. Sam took a deep breath and made her first command of the mission. "Open ship-wide comms, Joker."

"Aye, Commander." Jeff nodded and tapped his screen.

She made her way to the galaxy map, cleared her throat. The crew immediately silenced and gathered around.

"Okay crew, this week was a well earned break and I hope you all enjoyed it and made the most of your free time, because now its back to business. Our new mission starts here. Now… the council's recommendation is that we go and hunt down the geth, so we can 'rid the galaxy of the threat they pose.' "

There was a ripple of whispers throughout the crew, along with some very furrowed brows. Shepard continued. "So… that basically means they don't really believe the reapers exist. But we know they do. We know they threaten all life in the galaxy." Members of the crew shook their heads in disbelief that even after all that had happened, the council still didn't believe.

"However, the  _Normandy_  is still a Spectre's ship, therefore  _I'm_  the one who decides our mission." The frowns relaxed a little as the crewmates grew quieter. "So, here's the plan: We return to Ilos, with a primary goal of gathering evidence to prove the reapers' existence. We will of course take a few detours to wipe out geth strongholds on our way, but we need to make the council see that unless we do something now, the Reapers  _will_  return." Nods of agreement now spread through the decks.

"I, for one, will not stand by and let this galaxy be wiped out in the cycle of destruction yet again! And I know all of you stand with me!" A united cry of 'aye' burst from the crew. "We  _will_  find a way to stop them!" Shepard raised a clenched fist.

"It's time to get back to what we do best... Showing our enemies what this galaxy is made of!" Shepard looked around as cheers rang out from the whole crew; they had all heard and felt the strength and determination in their commander's words. "Crew dismissed."

She smiled, watching them eagerly returning to their stations, each taking their place, checking equipment, resources, waving their arms about in front of holo-screens. It was like they'd never left. Even Prestley was pointing at the galaxy map, moaning about something already.

Shepard took a deep breath and said. "Take us out, Joker."


End file.
